Liam,
No gonad shinkage here, except when I get cold. I just don't live in front of my computer like many of you guys choking away in the Hong Kong soup.
With regard to the race card and the charge of discrimintation, it is noted that not all permanent ID card holders are in fact Chinese. So in that respect, I stand corrected. However, I still think it is fair to call the CX status quo discrimination against those from Hong Kong - which is really the relevant issue here. Hong Kong is an international city with a diverse group calling it home. So it is wrong to dimantle a discrimination charge with what is really nothing more than a racial technicality.
The emergence of "international cadets" recently makes me wonder if the company did not catch onto this discrimination well ahead of the HKAOA. By recruiting and allowing those without permanent HKID cards to be cadets, CX can effectively diffuse the argument of discrimination against Hong Kong locals by showing that others groups are willing to accept the deal (although I suspect many will leave CX once they have gained the required experience).
For me, a relevant parallel is the recruitment of freigter DEFOs (FFOs) back on CoS99. Many pilots have been recruited directly onto bases to fly the freighter. They serve(d) a freighter commitment which was 36 months from initial line check or ... etc. After the freighter commitment, these pilots can take a passenger position and/or come to Hong Kong for the full expat package. This period can be looked at as a form of apprenticeship. Similarly, a CoS08 DEFO has to serve 4 years on the base until being eligible for return to Hong Kong. Again, this can be viewed as a period of appreniceship, although many will choose to remain on the base for longer due to lifestyle considerations.
The point is that all officers, except CEPs, have a mechanism for being able to achieve the full allowance package in Hong Kong. I do not think this is fair. I do believe it is discrimination. For those who brought up the issue of bonding or some type of payback for training, I think CEPs would be much better off if they had some way to pay back CX for their training, be it via years of service or money. It is unfair is to treat them like second class pilots for the duration of their careers because they started as a cadet from Hong Kong.
Now you may enlighten me with your omniscience...
cxorcist