February 16th, 2022 – Today President Xi ordered Hong Kong officials to get the recent surge of the Omicron wave of Covid under control in that city. The city of Hong Kong has just announced 4,200 new Omicron cases and 3,000 new suspected Omicron cases.

President Xi said,

“Hong Kong’s government must take up the main responsibility to stabilize and control the pandemic as soon as possible as a mission that overrides everything, mobilize all available forces and resources and take all necessary measures to ensure the safety and health of Hong Kong’s citizens and the stability of Hong King’s society.”

Some news organizations speculate that China may soon order a total shutdown of Hong Kong and the adjacent new territories. The population of Hong Kong is roughly 7,500,000 people. The population of the new territories is roughly another 3,600,000 people. So, 11 million or so folks may soon find themselves in lockdown.

As many of you may know, China has Zero Covid policy and that has not been easy. China has routinely shut down cities with millions of people living in them when only one or two Covid cases were found. The situation in Hong Kong appears to be of a different magnitude and obviously Emperor Xi is somewhat concerned.

Throughout history various Kings, Emperors, Dictators and Leaders have decreed unpleasant things to go away. The English King Canute in the 12th century commanded an incoming tide to halt and not wet his feet and robes. To Canute’s surprise, the tide kept coming and his feet and robes got wet. That encouraged Geoffrey Chaucer to say a few hundred years later ”time and tide wait for no man”.

BCE (aka Buffalo Chip Express) would like to point out that Hong Kong is situated on the Pearl River and adjacent to a number of large mainland China cities. Locally, that area of Southern China, is considered to be one giant ”sea city” of 50,000,000 people. As many travelers to Hong Kong know, there is a lot of people going back and forth between Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Dongguan and Guangzhou and these four Chinese cities are all within 50 miles of each other.

BCE speculates that it could happen that the dread Omicron epidemic now spreading through Hong Kong could also spread to the adjacent cities of Shenzhen, Dongguan and Guangzhou. BCE might make an additional guess and say that if that does happen, the Omicron virus may spread throughout the mainland of China this coming spring and summer.

If that were to happen, it could be thought by some in China that President Xi, the present Emperor of present Chinese dynasty, has no clothes.