Ed’s day job is managing a multi-billion dollar hedge fund portfolio and teaching classes to the next generation of Responsible Officers. But his extra time and energy are given to the cause of democracy in Hong Kong, which is the primary focus of today’s episode.
As a native Hongkonger who grew up under British colonial rule, Ed (and many others) is disturbed by China’s treatment of the “one country, two systems” policy established under Deng Xiaoping, China’s paramount leader in the 1980s.
Ed hosts a weekly radio show and writes a regular column in the Apple Daily. He’s an organizer of and a public face for the democratic movement in Hong Kong and has seen friends endure threats, sentencings, and convictions for organizing and participating in peaceful protests.
In today’s episode you’ll learn:
- About Ed’s background
- Why he left and then returned to Hong Kong
- About the history and current relationship between China and Hong Kong
- About the “one country, two systems” policy
- Why there is social unrest in Hong Kong today
- About the bookseller case and Hong Kong’s extradition laws
- About the Umbrella Movement
- Ed’s outlook for Hong Kong in the coming years
- About MDE Hedge Center and hedge fund structures in Hong Kong
Listen to this episode on iTunes
What was your biggest insight from this week’s episode? Let Jay know in the comments or on Twitter: @jaykimmer.
LINKS FROM TODAY’S EPISODE
- Read the full transcript from Ed’s interview
- Find Ed on Facebook
- Apple Daily
- Next Digital
- D100.net radio
- MDE Hedge Center
- 29 April 2019 article on extradition law and Hong Kong bookseller
- Tibetan-Canadian student president hassled by Chinese students in Canada
- Benny Tai’s conviction and sentencing for his part in the peaceful Occupy protests
- About Gui Minhai
- On Dietrich Bonhoeffer
- Canada’s Globe and Mail article “Canada worried about implications of new extradition treaty between Hong Kong and China”
DETAILED SHOW NOTES
- (1:54) Ed’s brief self-introduction
- (4:12) Ed explains his early interest in media and broadcasting
- (6:19) Ed gives a brief history of the 1987 Hong Kong handover to lay the foundation for much of today’s discussion
- (13:18) Ed explains the motivation behind Benny Tai’s position paper in 2013
- (15:30) An overview of the Umbrella Movement
- (20:40) Ed explains what is “one country, two systems” and how it’s playing out today
- (25:50) Ed explains how the Umbrella Movement was resolved
- (29:44) Ed’s view of the Hong Kong government
- (33:24) Why Ed wrote a letter to China’s president, Xi Jinping
- (36:45) Jay responds to Ed’s assessment of the current state of the “one country, two systems” agreement
- (37:30) Ed addresses the issue of his personal safety in light of how outspoken he is about political matters
- (40:38) How Ed sees the political landscape developing over the next few years
- (43:26) The objectives of Ed’s advocacy group
- (47:16) Jay explains why he believes it’s in China’s interest to treat Hong Kong well
- (49:21) Ed gives an overview of MDE Hedge Center
- (53:14) Ed’s outlook for hedge funds in the coming years
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