Source: CCTV.com

06-28-2007 17:20

In 1997, Charles Goddard was a journalist. For him the handover was great story to cover. Hong Kong's change of sovereignty was one of the biggest headlines in the world. And many reporters like Charles were excited to be here.

Charles works at the Economist Intelligence Unit and provides analysis for multinational corporations. Previously he was a documentary filmmaker.

"It is a very interesting time to be a journalist in Hong Kong and also a time of some uncertainty actually because it was unclear to us what Hong Kong would become after the handover. And there were quite a number of journalists who felt the freedom of expression particularly that we enjoyed before the handover might not continue after the handover. There were some fears that that might happen. There were some fears that the lifestyle and the quality of life that people have here may change after the handover. So there were certainly some concerns," said Charles Goddard, editorial director Asia Pacific, Economist Intelligence Unit.

"I think if you were an outsider coming back to China, coming back to Hong Kong, now after ten years of being away. I think you would probably not really notice any significant differences between Hong Kong now and the Hong Kong that was there then. Of course if you're an insider, it's a little bit different. I think you will notice certain that have taken place, some of them very positive I think.”

"From my own personal perspective, Hong Kong has become a more, it's always an exciting city. And I have to say I love the city for its sheer dynamism. I feel privileged because its been a tremendous ride for me. I've had a lot of opportunities in this city that has thrown up a lot of interesting work for me, and that sits in a very special place in the region because its right at the center of everybody's air routes. It's at the center of the information highway in the region. It's at a confluence point, which is very exciting for a journalist like myself," said Charles Goddard.

We talked with British expats in Stanley, a town on southeastern Hong Kong Island.

"You've got everything else that you need. Even if you're a sportsman. I'm a sports coach. You've got tennis; you've got football; you've got rugby; you've got cricket; you've got everything you want here as far as sports go. And you've got the social life to go with it, because everyone wants to have a beer and have fun at the end, " said a visitor.

"I love the mid-levels area because you've got all of the bars and restaurants, but then you can take two streets back and be in the middle of what feels like very authentic hong kong. So basically you can have a bit of the old and a bit of the new and there's all these wonderful temples down different streets and things, and you feel like you can get a bit of the culture as well as having a contemporary lifestyle too," said a visitor.

 

Editor:Chen Ge