Plans to emigrate and transfer capital didn't begin with the September 1984 joint declaration saying that Hong Kong would be turned over to mainland China in 1997. Many companies started packing their bags as early as 1982, when the negotiations first got under way.
「擁有外國居留權，成為中、高層居民必要的條件」，在香港好幾家報紙寫專欄的作家哈公說，這都是公開的事實。人去、財空，並不是一九八四年九月中共與英國發表聯合聲明，決定一九九七年由中共收回港九後才開始；早在一九八二年雙方開始談判，許多公司行號已打點起行囊了。