Hong Kong: Losing Its Luster?

For half a century, millions of hopeful mainland Chinese escaped strife, famine and persecution at home by fleeing across the border to Hong Kong, a city of comparative peace, stability and opportunity. But today Hong Kong's haven looks less attractive, as its unemployment hovers around 7% while China's economy steams ahead at nearly 10% per year. The result: according to statistics released last week, only 38,100 mainlanders moved to Hong Kong in 2004, the fewest since the present immigration quotas were set in 1996. This may be bad news for the territory. With a fertility rate of 0.91 per woman, just...

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