Yellow ribbons have been used as a symbol for Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement since the largescale 2014 protests.
Amid the violent anti-government protests in Hong Kong since June 2019, the "yellow ribbon" movement has branched out into many facets of life in the city, including its economy.
A “Yellow Economic Circle” has been established to support the anti-government protests with recent estimates suggesting that more than 2,300 shops have joined since the anti-extradition bill movement broke out in 2019.
According to the Five Demands Team, an online promotion platform for the pro-democratic movement, the total revenue for the circle during the recent Labour Day holiday in Hong Kong was more than $100 million HKD.
Pro-democracy supporters hold iconic yellow umbrella outside the government headquarters in Hong Kong during protests in 2018. Source: AAP
Choosing shops based on colour
In Hong Kong, it is common for citizens to shop and dine at establishments that align with their own political and ideological beliefs.
To identify their political stance amid the current protests, “yellow ribbon” shop owners would adorn their businesses with a variety of posters and materials to show their support for the anti-extradition bill demonstrations and even hire young anti-government protestors who are struggling financially.
Labelling a business as a “yellow shop” means that Hong Kongers who support the pro-democratic movement are likely to prioritise these shops over “blue shops,” whose owners stand by the Hong Kong Police or are pro-China.
Is the “yellow economy” coming to Australia?
Members of the Hong Kong community in Australia have explored the idea of adopting a Yellow Economic Circle but getting it off the ground has proved challenging.
Speaking to SBS Cantonese, the owner of a restaurant in the Sydney suburb of Hornsby, which identifies as a "yellow shop", believes that it will be difficult to establish a large economic circle in Australia as migrants from Hong Kong are too scattered across the country, as well as the limitations of market supply and demand.
Wanting to hide his identity, he said that it was difficult to win over the older generation and invite them to shop yellow as many align themselves with the opposing blue camp.
For shop owners in Hong Kong, it is difficult to identify their allies in the industry as many intend to please their customers from both sides by sitting on the fence.
On the other hand, Australian shop owners from Hong Kong rarely proclaim their stance on the current situation or whether they are part of the yellow camp.
Dennis Tsui, a spokesperson from Australia-Hong Kong Link, believes that a yellow economic circle could potentially develop in Australia’s major cities, but it will not be easy.
An indicator that it can be done, he said, was the showing at last year's Global Solidarity with Hong Kong rallies in Sydney which drew more than 3000 people, one of the largest demonstrations outside of Hong Kong.
However, he fears that relying on the diffuse Hong Kong community in Australia could not support the continual growth of a circle.
Dennis Tsui from the Hong Kong-Australia Link. Source: SBS
Mr Bosco* is from the online Hong Kong Australian community group Aussiesiuhk.
He believes that Hong Kongers in Australia were an ethnic minority and the majority did not have a deep understanding of the issues in Hong Kong.
He pointed out that many “yellow ribbon” business owners in Australia would avoid discussing their political stance so as to retain their customers or Chinese business partners from across the spectrum.
Aussiesiuhk recently reached out to more than 100 local restaurants and stores owned by immigrants from Hong Kong to invite them to form a retail network.
Protests in Hong Kong have reignited again this year over national security and anthem laws. Source: Getty
Challenges of going yellow
A Hong Kong-style cafe in Brisbane lost business due to its pro-democracy stance after launching a new menu following the Hong Kong District Council election in 2019.
Some dishes were named to criticise pro-Beijing Hong Kong legislator Julian Ho, who lost his seat in the vote.
Café owner, Mr N*, told SBS Cantonese that his menu choice resulted in the loss of a group of customers because most of them identified as “blue ribbon” supporters.
“I don’t really care about it if not I wouldn’t have put up [the menu]. That certainly drove some customers away. I am not giving much thought on this,” he said.
Mr Ho was alleged to have been involved in an attack on protestors last July where a rampaging mob of men dressed in white attacked passengers and protestors indiscriminately in Yuen Long MTR station, a claim he denied.
A tea restaurant in Brisbane launched the "he finished menu". Source: Facebook
He was also one of the legislators who helped Beijing introduce national security law in Hong Kong in 2020.
Mr N said that business owners in Australia faced difficulties in putting up “yellow ribbon” promotion material on their shop fronts.
He said he was prohibited by his landlord from doing so due to a stipulation in his lease which prohibited him from putting up "political propaganda” in his cafe.
He said that many Brisbane businesses in the shopping strips in suburbs with a high Chinese population, for instance, Market Square, also faced a similar issue.
In Sydney, Mr R*, the former owner of Hornsby eatery, HK Hidden Gem Cafe, which opened last May and is now shut down, said that some Hong Kong business owners prioritised their commercial interests and dared not state their opinions.
“They would sit on the fence. Many older Hong Kong immigrants still watch [pro-Beijing TV channel] TVB and rely on WeChat for news and information. They don’t really know what is happening in Hong Kong,” he said.
He believes that it is harsh to ask patrons to only visit “yellow shops” as it was inevitable for business owners to source supplies and merchandise from companies related to mainland China.
HK Hidden Gem Café in Hornsby. Source: Google Maps
And most of the Asian grocers are owned by Chinese people.
“When you go to [the local supermarkets] and buy a packet of Calbee potato chips, [the distributor] is [an alleged 'blue ribbon' company] Four Seas Group,” he said.
Since the anti-extradition bill movement began last year, HK Hidden Gem put up posters of the Spark Alliance and raised a few hundred dollars for that organisation.
The Spark Alliance is an organisation that finances bail payments for people arrested in connection with the Hong Kong protests.
Mr R said most of his customers were from Hong Kong and remembered there was one individual who was attracted by the posters and travelled a long way only to donate.
He said he did not mind being an openly "yellow ribbon" shop even if it would drive away customers.
“I don’t really serve ‘non-yellow’ customers,” he said.
“We are deeply saddened by the fight of the Hong Kong young people. What we lost is nothing compared to their sacrifice made for future generations.”
Some "yellow shops" in Hong Kong hired young protestors to offer them financial support.
Daniel Wong, a volunteer lawyer who helped many protestors to deal with their prosecution and legal proceedings went to Taiwan and opened a Hong Kong style-cafe called Aegis in April.
He hired a number of protestors who fled Hong Kong to help them earn a living.
Dennis Tsui from Australia-Hong Kong Link said that they were planning to set up a person of their own to build a business like Aegis to help support the Hong Kong protestors in exile.
He hopes that the business could help them return to a normal life.
Taipei's “Protective Umbrella” tea restaurant, Aegis, employs young contestants in exile in Hong Kong. Source: Aegis
The Link also aims to match the protestors with other local employers that are in mutual interests and belief.
He said that the Australia-Hong Kong Link would vet the employers.
“If there are 100 [Hong Kongers in exile] in Sydney, and each company is willing to hire one Hong Konger, then this is when we step in and help.”
*Not their real names.
