HSBC is one of the biggest and most respected banking groups in the world. It has its roots and a long history in Asia. Outside of Asia, it is not widely known what the initials, "HSBC", stand for. The "H" actually stands for Hongkong (old spelling) and "S" for Shanghai. This venerable British banking institution bears the names of two Chinese cities, Hong Kong and Shanghai, in which it was founded during the early years of our colonial era when China was at the most vulnerable and turbulent period of our modern history.

        The blogger, David Eldon, is a retired chairman of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, a shrewd Englishman (a Scot) with considerable political skills, and vast banking experience; he spent his entire 37-year banking career at HSBC, when the banking world was in a much less troubling time. He writes in a friendly, conversational tone, in short and crisp sentences, not clogged with big fancy words. In his blog, ELDON-ONLINE, Mr. Eldon gives his opinions on difficult, complicated political and economic issues eloquently with style and elegance. His writing clearly shows that clarity can be achieved with brevity; there is little doubt as to where he stands on the various pressing issues of our days.

        What makes this blog interesting is not what was mentioned above, it is Mr. Eldon himself --- his bearing and how a mover-and-shaker of a bygone era sees Hong Kong and the world at large. By reading this blog, the reviewers have a feeling that many things did not turn out the way Mr. Eldon wanted them to.

        At one time, Mr. Eldon's words carried enormous weight all around the globe. This former lion of international high finance is now in his winter. Mr. Eldon's views of the world, of China, and of HK are of his past spring. One may question how relevant his views are in today's political reality --- now that we live in a changed political and economic environment in a different era.

        ICBC, a Chinese bank, is presently the world's largest bank by both deposits and capitalization. And its chairman speaks only his native language in public.