Olympic Torch Reaches Hong Kong

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STEVE INSKEEP, host:

Protests against China have followed the Olympic torch around the world, and now it's China's turn. The Olympic torch was paraded through the streets of Hong Kong today, accompanied by a flag-waving crowd that heckled and jostled pro-Tibet demonstrators.

NPR's Louisa Lim is in Honk Kong monitoring the relay.

And what did you see today?

LOUISA LIM: Well, the relay has really gone quite smoothly. It's really - we've seen the - exactly the type of scenes that China was hoping for: huge crowds of people, many of them wearing red in order to express their patriotism. And many of them waving Chinese flags. They've been absolutely swarming the sidewalks here. Even - there was a guy right next to me who was actually up a tree in order to get the best possible view. And they've been shouting slogans like Go China Go and Go Olympics Go and just generally being a very sort of welcoming atmosphere. Although there have been some small protests.

INSKEEP: And the question has to be asked whether this is government generated enthusiasm or genuine patriotic Chinese enthusiasm about the games.

LIM: Well, I think it's a little bit of both. I think most of it is genuine patriotic enthusiasm. And I think people here have had their Chinese identities strengthened by what has happened over the past few weeks and months. I mean, generally when you talk to people here, Hong Kong people, they say they are very proud to be Chinese and that's why they're out today.

And so there are quite a lot of people who've taken time off work to come and be here. But there has also been some organization as well. Certain companies have allowed people to come and have given their employees time off work and asked them to wear red and white flags. And schools have also been mobilized and district councils. So there's a bit of both.

INSKEEP: When you're among those people in the street or the person who climbed up the tree, how much do they seem to know about the recent protests against the Chinese government's rule in Tibet?

LIM: Well, people in Hong Kong are quite well informed. I mean, here the media is much freer than it is in mainland China. And they generally have access to information. And even despite this, there were a lot of people who are extremely sympathetic to the government's point of view.

And I did also encounter quite a bit of anger against the Western media. People kept stopping me and saying that the Western media was not reporting what had happened fairly and that the Western media was not talking about the number of pro-China supporters that there have been on the streets. So it does seem as if people here have had access to all sides of the argument and are supporting the Chinese government.

INSKEEP: Do people on the streets seem to think that the Tibet protests have gone far enough that they've actually marred the Olympics for Beijing and for China?

LIM: Well, people here are still extremely excited about the Olympics. And many of them believe that whatever happened in Tibet should not mar their Olympics. They believe that China has worked extremely hard to prepare for the Olympics and that the world should allow China to have an un-politicized Olympics.

But it has been very interesting. I mean, Hong Kong is a place where traditionally there are a lot of protests here. But today there was very little tolerance for dissenting voices.

INSKEEP: NPR's Louisa Lim is in Hong Kong, where today she watched the Olympic torch sweep past on its way to Beijing.

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