Tension underlies optimism as Hong Kong returns to China

After days of watching blanket television coverage leading to Monday's handover to China, Hong Kong's people laughingly say they now know more about their past, present and future prospects than they ever learned at school.

But just hours before the end of British colonial rule in Hong Kong and China's resumption of sovereignty over one of the most successful bastions of capitalism, people's thoughts reflect a mix of anxiety about the future and hope that things would go well after June 30.

Hong Kong residents have for months pushed some of these anxieties to the backs of their minds, and many in recent months say they would wait and see. They were happy about the handover, as long as they could make money as before.

But now their perspectives seem to have broadened, evident in a greater sense of history and some fear of change in people's comments. They have no desire to see colonial rule continue, but worry about how China's policy of 'one country, two systems' will play out in their daily lives over the years.

Many Hong Kong folk have become more thoughtful, even more articulate than just a few months ago. And as a survey in the mass-circulation Apple Daily newspaper noted, ''Many people have become more depressed and anxious as the handover approaches''.

This was widely reflected on the streets of Hong Kong in the last two days, which have seen the British and Chinese wrap up last-minute agreements and banquets get underway to mark the end of 156 years of British rule.

''I was very pleased about the handover a week ago, I began to feel Chinese,'' said Amy Lau, an office worker in Hong Kong's business district.

''But now I'm not so sure. Television on Sunday was showing PLA (People's Liberation Army) soldiers doing drills. They were wearing white gloves but they still look like peasants. How will they treat us?'' Lau asked.

''I did not like the British and I am glad to see them go, although I hardly knew any of them myself and the younger ones working here are not like the old colonial ones,'' Lau's companion Glades said, speaking in Chinese.

''But I don't know how the Chinese officials will be. They will demand that we kowtow to them and I don't want to do that. Why should we? Hong Kong is our place; we made it,'' she said. ''Yes, I am afraid of the soldiers but my husband says I should not worry. We will hardly see them.''

''Hong Kong will be Chinese and that is not a bad thing but I worry that my son will not be able to learn English properly in school. And then he will not have so many opportunities as before,'' said Mei Mei Chin, another office worker.

''I'm usually upbeat,'' says Kavita Daswani, a Hong Kong-born Indian who successfully lobbied the British to give Hong Kong Indians British passports so they would not become stateless after the handover.

''But this week I'm feeling sick in my stomach. I just want it to be over with. It is not knowing what the changes will be, but hoping it will stay the same for as long as possible -- that is stressful,'' she said.