An article in the Hongkong Free Press on October 15, 2017, claimed that the Chinese Communist Party is trying to 'mainlandise' Hong Kong by exerting greater control over Hong Kong politically, economically, socially and culturally, to integrate it into the mainland before the end of the 50-year “one country, two systems” period in 2047. It said the Hongkong Police has more links than ever with its mainland counterparts, and both top officers and ordinary officers go to the mainland more than ever. The article noted that there are 63,000 new arrivals from the mainland every year. In addition to immigrants, over 40 million mainland tourists visit Hong Kong every year. It cited a 2014 Reuters report that said “Chinese companies are consuming ever bigger chunks of the city’s key sectors including real estate, finance, power, construction and the stock market.” Listing the activities of the United Front it said it has links with 'loyalist' political parties, the Federation of Trade Unions, the Heung Yee Kuk of New Territories rural committees, and so-called “patriotic” associations often named after the places in China from which their founders originally came. These groups have a strong presence in lower-income and working-class parts of the Hong Kong. The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Ko (DAB) is the largest political party in Hong Kong. The DAB’s annual fundraising auction in 2014 raised $68.38 million in contrast to $2.8 million and $2.35 million raised, respectively, by the pan-democratic Democratic and Civic Parties at their auctions. The DAB’s total income for 2008 to 2014 was Hong Kong$460 million. The Party owns outright its low-circulation mouthpieces, Wen Wei Po and Ta Kung Pao. The biggest English-language daily, South China Morning Post, was bought in 2016 by Alibaba, which has close ties to the Party. The Party’s Liaison Office is Hong Kong’s biggest owner of book distributors and retailers. It has an 80 percent market share and owns 51 bookstores. It owns Guangdong New Culture Development, which in turn owns New Culture Development Hong Kong, which in turn owns Sino United Publishing Group, which in turn owns Commercial Press, Joint Publishing, and Chunghwa, three major bookstore chains.
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