They are short of pilots because the global pilot population has realized that a chinese contract is worth less than toilet paper. They can promise you the sky, and probably will, but it is just words on paper in the mainland.
The problem is, once you get a reputation like this it is very hard to shake it. Even if a carrier chose to honor and abide by their employment contract, it is still tainted by the abuse of others.
And by the way, Hong Kong is no different than the mainland. Just look at all the abuses against the 49ers and even more recent cases. Keep in mind that a court in HKG found executives of Cathay GUILTY of perjury yet did not charge them for it!
Different part of the world boys and girls, keep it mind when coming over.