They are wealthy, well educated and perceived as politically reliable – an important criterion since Beijing's takeover of Hong Kong, after it crushed the city's democracy movement. Xiao Juan, 39, her husband and their three children had the ideal profile to take part in the "top talent pass scheme", which offers permanent residency visas for Hong Kong to people who earn more than HK$2.5 million a year or have graduated from one of the 199 prestigious universities listed by the authorities, 20 of which are Chinese.

Launched in December 2022, this immigration program is intended to boost the population of Hong Kong, which has suffered from accelerated ageing, the Covid-19 years that saw expatriates pack up and leave, and the political repression that has driven those not sent to prison to flee to London, Taiwan or elsewhere far from Chinese power.

Like Xiao, 95% of those selected for the special visa come from mainland China – meaning that the majority of these new residents are already accustomed to living under the thumb of the Communist Party. They do not have the traditions of free speech, independent press, opposition parties and demonstrations that characterized Hong Kong before the draconian National Security Law was imposed in the summer of 2020.

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