“Infant Formula Rationing is a Humiliation to Hong Kong People”
As Chinese New Year is approaching , the demand for foreign made infant formula from Mainland China surges sharply, exacerbating the infant formula shortage in Hong Kong. The shortage is so severe that infant formula is always sold out within 15 minutes everywhere. Yesterday, Hong Kong Food and Health Bureau announced infant formula rationing. However, there is no word on restricting the sale of infant formula to Mainland Chinese. The rationing is described as “a humiliation to local people”
Sold Out in 15 Minutes Every Place in Hong Kong
Netizens complain that infant formula is sold out within 15 minutes everywhere in Hong Kong.
Wong: Here they come to Hung-Shui-Kiu of Yuen-Long
Place: Hung-Shui-Kiu Mannings…People: People who speak standard Mandarin…
Process: The truck of Mannings offloaded goods. 3 minutes late, all tins of infant formula sold… I’m fucking grateful that you make mothers here look for infant formula everywhere… I’m fucking grateful for you contribution to the economy… Fucking thank you&
Infant Formula Smugglers are Everywhere
Ngau Tau Kok Station
Tseung Kwan O Station
Tai Kok Tsui Mannings
Tung Chung Mannnings
Sha Tin Wai Station Mannings
Besides attributing to infant formula shortages, smugglers severely affect commuters.
On Weibo, Mainland Chinese users also show off infant formula they bought from Hong Kong.
Infant formula manufactures and the retail industry promise the government that they are going to ration Hong Kong mothers to 3 tins of infant formula from assigned brands every 2 weeks through a free-membership “Local Moms’ Club” that requires their babies’ Hong Kong birth certificates.
“Second-Class Slaves”
Scholar and columnist Chin Wan calls the rationing a humiliation
Hong Kong has officially fallen to the enemy’s hand. Baby food has to be on ration. The Hong Kong Communist government, who came up with this suggestion shamelessly, doesn’t know that implementation of food rationing is a humiliation to the local people. Is this the period when Hong Kong was occupied by the Japanese military? Why don’t they restrict smugglers from buying infant formula?” Why don’t they arrest smugglers? Instead, the government deal with Hong Kong legal residents by requiring them to register with the rationing system. This is because Hong Kong is ruled by the Chinese colonist government, and its behavior is like WW2 Japanese military government. The status of Mainland Chinese is like Japanese during the time of Japanese occupation, and they enjoy the privileges of colonists. All Hong Kong compatriots, from the behavior of the Hong Kong Communist government, Hongkongers have fallen to become second-class slaves.
Blogger KurshHK.net also compared the infant formula rationing to Hong Kong wartime rationing under Japanese occupation.
Local Moms Think So Comments from the popular Hong Kong mothers’ forum, Baby Kingdom
cool2000hk: 3 years and 8 months (The time that Japanese occupation of Hong Kong lasted)
fckbb: I can only think of refugees, wars, second-class citizens and jails. We look for infant formula everywhere, and with reservation, we can only get 3 tins in 2 weeks. Mainland Chinese can get whatever number of tins they want. If my baby eats more…If I accidentally spill my tin…If I forget to bring infant formula when I go out…What can I do? When I think of the rationing, I feel so upset.
fattypiggy: I had never thought that rationing would be required for Hongkongers who buy infant formula for Hong Kong babies in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Mainland Chinese can buy whatever tins of Hong Kong infant formula they want. Hongkongers are really sad.
milkmilk071213: Hong Kong has become this (sad state)! Hongkongers buy stuffs in Hong Kong require documents and rationing. Mainland Chinese can get whatever they want! Will we be carded if we want to buy a pack of lemon tea?
Smugglers hoard everything that is not made in Mainland China, including made in Hong Kong lemon tea
Jerryann: Hong Kong has fallen to the enemy’s hands. Hongkongers have no place to go and can be humiliated by anyone. Hongkongers have become fourth-class citizens – First class is high officials, second class is rich people and third class is Mainland Chinese. Hongkongers have no place at all.
10 thoughts on ““Infant Formula Rationing is a Humiliation to Hong Kong People””
Technically, it is not a ration because mothers are allowed to buy tins on their own outside of their guaranteed three tins. In practice, however, the impossibility of procuring milk in some regions means that for some mothers, these three tins are all they’re going to get. That is, until some store inevitably sells too many tins to the mainlanders and ends up unable to fulfill its local promises. I’d love to see the backlash then.
When tins of infant formula are sold out in 15 mins, it is extremely hard to get more besides these 3 tins. And the gov calls it rationing.
That’s basically what I said: technically not a ration, but in practice a very real one. I’m surprised the government would use the term “rationing” so explicitly, though.
I noticed the first image is of Hung Shui Kiu. I’ve been there last year and they seemed to be still unaffected then. Said to hear it has fallen as well.
Are China’s import tariffs even allowed under the WTO? Without these tariffs, there would be no reason for infant formula companies not to import the goods in China themselves, saving HK a lot of trouble. As the rampant smuggling shows, these tariffs are useless anyway.
Is it a matter of time until a Hongkonger have to wear a star on their clothes?…
“Milk Scare Hits Dairy Power New Zealand”
Well that changes things.
use alternatives.
They are hardly ‘smugglers’, it’s so fucking obvious what they are doing. Chinese customs should confiscate goods imported on the basis of dodging tax.
/that requires their babies’ Hong Kong birth certificates./ New Chinese Industry: Fake HK birth certificates! Probably doing it already.
[…] formula is transported out of the city through “professional” travelers. Image from Badcanto. Non-commercial […]
Dictionary of Politically Incorrect Hong Kong Cantonese 
Technically, it is not a ration because mothers are allowed to buy tins on their own outside of their guaranteed three tins. In practice, however, the impossibility of procuring milk in some regions means that for some mothers, these three tins are all they’re going to get. That is, until some store inevitably sells too many tins to the mainlanders and ends up unable to fulfill its local promises. I’d love to see the backlash then.
When tins of infant formula are sold out in 15 mins, it is extremely hard to get more besides these 3 tins. And the gov calls it rationing.
That’s basically what I said: technically not a ration, but in practice a very real one. I’m surprised the government would use the term “rationing” so explicitly, though.
I noticed the first image is of Hung Shui Kiu. I’ve been there last year and they seemed to be still unaffected then. Said to hear it has fallen as well.
Are China’s import tariffs even allowed under the WTO? Without these tariffs, there would be no reason for infant formula companies not to import the goods in China themselves, saving HK a lot of trouble. As the rampant smuggling shows, these tariffs are useless anyway.
Is it a matter of time until a Hongkonger have to wear a star on their clothes?…
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323539804578261072093767746.html
“Milk Scare Hits Dairy Power New Zealand”
Well that changes things.
use alternatives.
They are hardly ‘smugglers’, it’s so fucking obvious what they are doing. Chinese customs should confiscate goods imported on the basis of dodging tax.
/that requires their babies’ Hong Kong birth certificates./ New Chinese Industry: Fake HK birth certificates! Probably doing it already.
[…] formula is transported out of the city through “professional” travelers. Image from Badcanto. Non-commercial […]