China won’t become more liberal anytime soon because its people are satisfied with the way the Chinese Communist Party has lifted many out of poverty, according to a China expert.

Jean-Pierre Cabestan, Professor in Political Science at Hong Kong Baptist University, told the November 14 club lunch that the Chinese government had support from all sections of society, including its billionaire entrepreneurs.

The party is stronger than ever, he said, in part due to the introduction of the social credit system, which monitors citizens, and the restriction of internet access. Its efficient quashing of dissent means its people do not stand up to the one-party system.

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So you’ve written your first novel and it’s won widespread plaudits – what next?

Write a second book, of course – but that’s easier said than done, as novelist Mohammed Hanif discovered when he found himself in exactly that position.

The Pakistani journalist and writer is now working on a fourth book following the success of A Case of Exploding Mangoes (2008), Our Lady of Alice Bhatti (2011), and Red Birds (2018). He shared writing tips at the November 13 club lunch and discussed the issues facing his homeland.

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Michael Rutter and Peter Hickman, two of motorcycle road racing’s most successful riders, revealed the ups and downs of the sport when they appeared at the FCC ahead of the 2019 Macau Grand Prix.

The pair, who between them have dominated their field for the last two decades, talked about how they got into the white-knuckle sport, what they’re thinking about while hitting speeds in excess of 200mph, and the future of electric motorcycle racing.

You can watch this November 12 club lunch below.

Matt Murray, Editor in Chief of The Wall Street Journal, talked about the newspaper’s big scoops and the future of journalism when he appeared at the club on November 6.

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A growing distrust of China’s technological prowess is underpinning some of the tension around its trade war with the US, which has led to the threat of Chinese companies being prohibited from publicly listing in the United States, according to experts.

Whereas five years ago there was closer collaboration between China and Silicon Valley, now a ‘splinternet’ is the result of the US pushing back against China, said author and technology writer, Rebecca Fannin, who appeared as a panelist at the FCC on November 6.

Should the United States decide to formally ban Chinese tech firms from listing IPOs there, it would be devastating, said venture capitalist Wei Jiang, a founding partner at Momentor Ventures. He added that Chinese firms would need to seek investment elsewhere.

Stella Xi Jin, a founding partner of China-focused venture capital firm Keytone Ventures, said her company was already investigating other markets, including Hong Kong, Singapore, and Europe.

A growing list of key Chinese tech companies have been added to America’s trade blacklist as Washington seeks to block China’s ascent.

You can watch the talk here.

The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act may work to safeguard the freedoms promised under One Country, Two Systems, but concerns have been raised around the potential economic impact of sanctions on the city.

These issues and others were discussed at the FCC by lawmaker Regina Ip, Legco member Charles Mok, and Tara Joseph, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.

Joseph pointed out that the bill, which is currently going passing its way through the US Senate, was simply an amendment to the existing United States-Hong Kong Policy Act and that it demonstrated “strong cooperation between Hong Kong and the US, and shows Washington is concerned about what’s happening here”.

Ip, a pro-Beijing politician, criticised the way in which the bill had so far passed through the Senate, saying that Hong Kong government representatives had offered to give evidence in the same manner as pro-democracy representatives, but had not been invited.

Legco member Charles Mok told the October 24 panel that he felt Hong Kong’s freedoms were being eroded, citing the de facto expulsion of the FCC’s Victor Mallet from the city in 2018 after he hosted a discussion with Andy Chan, founder of the now-banned Hong Kong National Party.

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Fly direct, fly less, choose vegetarian meals over meat – these were some of the tips shared during a panel discussion on responsible tourism.

Guest speakers Sonalie Figueiras, founder and editor-in-chief of Green Queen; Impact Travel Alliance Vincie Ho, and author and wildlife photographer Jan Latta explored practical ways to enjoy travel without the guilt of increasing your carbon footprint.

While some solutions appeared obvious, the panel members agreed that much more needed to be done by each of us in order to minimize the impact on our environment.

All panelists highlighted useful resources to help us understand and monitor how we can be greener when we travel. Sky Scanner, for example, now shows your potential carbon footprint when you search flights through its website. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council establishes and manages global sustainable standards and awards accreditation to hotels/accommodations, tour operators, and destinations as having sustainable policies and practices in place.

Another site, Choose.Today offers a subscription that allows you to support effective C02 reduction on a monthly basis. The money goes directly to C02-reducing projects in developing countries that are verified by the United Nations.

A further useful resource highlighted by the panel was the blogging site, In Locamotion, which offers a comprehensive guide to sustainable tourism.

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