A patronizing term, it hints at the difficulties new arrivals from China face in Hong Kong. Now, it isn't only the mainlanders who have to adjust. When the territory reverts to China on July 1, its 6.3 million residents will face a host of social challenges, many stemming from their new status as a part of a nation of 1.2 billion people. Tung Chee Hwa, Hong Kong's future chief executive, clearly recognizes the importance of these issues. The men in the hot seats are, respectively, post-handover executive councilors Leung Chun Ying, Antony Leung Kam Chung and Tam Yiu Chung.
Prices are so high that many middle-class people can only dream of owning their own homes.
Low-income families have the option of renting inexpensive public housing. The crunch in accommodation will only get worse with a constant stream of new arrivals from China. As it is, up to 150 mainlanders move legally to Hong Kong every day. The quota, worked out between local and mainland authorities, has been in place since 1995. If it remains unchanged, Hong Kong will have 1.1 million new immigrants over the next two decades.