Today we're going to take a little trip around the idiocy that passes for a normal day in Hong Kong and China.

Firstly the good news. It seems the only people fleecing expats and foreigners in Shenzhen now will be the shops. From the SCMP:

Expatriates and foreign visitors in Hong Kong will soon be given visa-free access to Shenzhen as part of new measures under the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (Cepa)...Expats and foreign visitors usually pay $210 [US$27] for a one-time mainland entry visa, or $850 [US$109] for multiple entries valid for six months. Charges for visitors from certain places, such as the United States, are even higher.

Now let's look at the "it would be funny if it wasn't serious" news:

1. Local Beijing apologists tell the SAR Government "too much democracy could drive away investors." That explains why the USA and Western Europe have done so badly.

2. It's all pointless anyway because Beijing's achieved their goals (from the SCMP):

The two-month propaganda war waged by state media against Hong Kong's ambitions for political reform has cooled as Beijing is satisfied people in the city have received its message, analysts say.
They suggested that the barrage, characterised by verbal and printed attacks on pro-democracy politicians, had abated after Beijing managed to dampen hopes in Hong Kong for a faster pace of democracy.

3. China lectures the US over a 'human rights violation' with a straight face. Apparently the US ignores truth about China's rights record. So those truths would be things like this, these or stuff listed here.

4. A bunch of Chinese go and land on an island in the middle of nowhere claimed by China, Taiwan, Japan and Iceland in a pointless jesture. At least it explains the 6 idiots standing outside Exchange Square last night with two banners, 4 camera crews, a loudhailer and no-one listening.