I wish the U.S. could make a New Hong Kong territory on the west coast somewhere. I think that would give the HKers access to the Pacific and a place to rebuild. I'd love to have those brilliant entrepreneurs and engineers over here.
Not many special "brilliant entrepreneurs". Just regular ole entrepreneurs taking advantage of the specific spot HK was in, and the specific relationship between Britain and China for global trade.
Merely bring the same people elsewhere would accomplish no great miracle.
It's not like taking SV-based VCs and programmers into e.g. Oklahome (where they'd just make a new hotspot, since their skills are carried with them).
It's more like taking the people in the tourist industry of Miami and moving them to Maine. It just wont work as well, since it was all about location in the first place...
A crapload of capital tends to statistically attract the best programmers. Some of the biggest problems to solve/employers being there, ditto.
In other words, my comment wasn't about born and raised SV VC/programmers. It was about VC/programmers working in SV.
SV-based entrepreneurs are already going to places like Austin and Portland. It takes time.
It would quicker if we get 3 million people situated in an abstract region of US since the critical mass to get the ball rolling would already have been achieved. It would be a challenge, but not for the reasons you've dilineated.
But that's my point. The success of HK businesses also relies on the location (and it's special status).
I think these types of regions can be created elsewhere but I totally see your point.
So this new territory could undercut every US-based port on tariffs, then ship everything to the USA consumer anyway? I don't see anyone agreeing to that deal.
It's quite amusing the hypothetical lengths people will go to "caring" but still straight up open about not letting foreigners into their actual country.
China objects strongly. It says these are Chinese citizens and Britain ceased to have any claim over the territory decades ago.
Of course since Britain's offer exists only on paper (there is no mechanism proposed by which a typical person in Hong Kong should actually make use of the offer to leave) the Chinese objection likewise extends only to paper.
It'd be like Crimea all over again, except China could have a legal argument that it's theirs instead of just claiming soldiers are vacationing there.
I don't see China invading the west coast of the USA without a fight. A really big fight. And for what?
Because that’s exactly what’s happening with HK now and people here are saying it was a dumb idea. Why repeat it?
Note that Puerto Ricans are fully citizens. The island itself doesn’t have representation in Congress because it’s not a state. (Which is a legal thing that’s distinct from the people who live in the state! The “United States” isn’t just a name, it has legal significance.)