It all started with a bowl of traditional Chinese herbal soup served by a Hong Kong entrepreneur at his restaurant in Beijing.
But that simple soup ended up costing him nearly 100,000 yuan (US$14,533) after he found himself trapped in a predicament with only one way out: to offer “red packets” – meaning cash bribes – to mainland officials.
It’s an all-too-typical story for veteran Hong Kong businessmen who agreed that kickbacks, pay offs and dubious payments remain a part of business culture on the mainland.The threat of similar situations is another worrying aspect of the government’s suspended extradition bill, which stirred up fear among Hongkongers who run businesses across the border.
The bill, which was suspended on June 15, would have allowed the transfer of fugitives to jurisdictions with which Hong Kong lacks an extradition agreement, notably mainland China.
The nightmare over the herbal soup so traumatised restaurant owner Nic Chan – not his real name – that he is considering returning to Hong Kong and escaping the uncomfortable, hidden rules that are part of doing business in the mainland.
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See Also:
(1) Despite China’s might, Taiwan would fight to be free
(4) Clashes erupt as Hong Kong protest targets Chinese traders
(5) ‘Don’t mess with us’: the spirit of rebellion spreads in Hong Kong
