Hong Kong ho-hum over Chinese astronaut's visit

[dArKeR]

China's first astronaut returned to Earth a national hero and, although Hong Kong is feting Yang Liwei (楊利偉) as a superstar, there may be a little less genuine applause in this former British colony than Beijing would like to hear.

Yang will press the flesh and take the stage with local Canto-pop singers as he tours Hong Kong in his first public appearances since he orbited the planet 14 times.

Beijing hopes Yang's visit will instill Hong Kong with a bit of the patriotism it has lacked since the handover from British sovereignty six years ago, but that may be a bit of a stretch. Many Hong Kongers remain leery of China, and many who watched Yang go into space basically shrugged it off.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2003/11/01/2003074177

[dArKeR]

1. Kids and flags but still no genuine cheer for astronaut

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2003/11/02/2003074297