| June 30, 2007, is an unforgettable part of history | | | | Territories, together with some 235 islands, were |
| for Britain as it is the 10th anniversary of the | | | | leased to Britain for 99 years commencing July 1, |
| controversial handover of Hong Kong to China. | | | | 1898. Hong Kong's population expanded rapidly |
| For the British it was the loss of the most | | | | from 120,000 in 1861 to more than 300,000 by |
| valuable of her few remaining vestiges of empire. | | | | the end of the 19th century. In the early 20th |
| For China it was the acquisition of a prize that | | | | century its population expanded even faster as it |
| gave her a bustling, thriving financial hub, a portal | | | | became an economic and political refuge from |
| into the Western capitalist world, complete with | | | | China, and yet further as a result of people |
| its own stock exchange index, the Hang Seng. | | | | seeking refuge from the Sino-Japanese War of |
| Negotiating the transfer proved to be one of the | | | | 1937. After the Second World War (when Hong |
| more painful episodes of Britain's withdrawal from | | | | Kong was temporarily lost by Britain to Japan), |
| her former colonial status. As the 99-year lease | | | | immigrant labor was used to establish such light |
| drew to an end, the two parties negotiated hard. | | | | industries as textiles and plastics. Throughout the |
| The British eventually accepted Chinese premier | | | | West, the labels "Made in Hong Kong" or "Empire |
| Deng Xiaoping's "one country, two systems" | | | | Made" (often the same thing), became bywords |
| formula, which allowed Hong Kong a high degree | | | | for cheap and shoddy goods. Yet, as with larger |
| of commercial and social autonomy and | | | | Eastern neighbors such as Japan, the hardworking |
| guaranteed its capitalistic structure for 50 years. | | | | entrepreneurs and laborers of Hong Kong |
| At midnight on June 30, 1997, after 156 years of | | | | effected an economic transformation. Poor |
| British rule, the union flag was lowered, folded, and | | | | housing and oppressive labor conditions improved |
| handed to Chris Patten, governor of the tiny | | | | from the end of the 1960s, and high-technology |
| colony. The sadness of the handover was | | | | industries such as electronics developed. |
| reflected in the tears of the governor's wife and | | | | Relationships between Hong Kong and China |
| daughters, and he fought to hold back his own | | | | gained strength, and--despite the setback of a |
| emotions. The heavy rain seemed to magnify the | | | | financial collapse in 1973--Hong Kong developed |
| poignancy of the occasion, as did the unhappy | | | | into a major financial and light industrial hub. What |
| faces of gathered dignitaries, including Prince | | | | is now mainland Hong Kong is 422 square miles, |
| Charles, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and two | | | | while Hong Kong island itself, and smaller adjacent |
| former British premiers, Margaret Thatcher and | | | | islets, are just 35 square miles in area. The vexing |
| Edward Heath. Prince Charles summed up the | | | | question of British jurisdiction over the leased |
| mood in a diary entry, referring to the event as | | | | areas of the New Territories began to loom large |
| "the great Chinese takeaway." Hong Kong is an | | | | as the lease approached its 1997 expiration date. |
| ancient island settlement with archaeological | | | | The Chinese-British joint declaration on the future |
| artifacts dating back to Neolithic times. When the | | | | of Hong Kong was, however, agreed in 1984. |
| British arrived in 1821 it had very little to | | | | There followed further difficult negotiations |
| commend it, as it lacked good soil or even fresh | | | | between Hong Kong and China on the details of |
| water. The main habitation at the time was a | | | | future Chinese rule and the territory's special |
| small fishing village, but the island has an excellent | | | | status. Nonetheless, the basic structure of law for |
| natural, deep and sheltered harbor with two | | | | Hong Kong was ratified by its National People's |
| entrances ("Hong Kong" means "fragrant harbor"). | | | | Congress in April 1990. On the day of the |
| The British realized its great potential, lying as it | | | | handover, July 1, 1997, a token detachment of |
| does on a major trading route. Initially, Hong Kong | | | | Chinese troops rolled into Hong Kong. But so far, |
| was used primarily for the notorious opium trade, | | | | the Chinese have recognized the unique and |
| and after the First Opium War (1832-1841), the | | | | mutual benefit that results from the territory's |
| Chinese ceded the island to Britain. Following the | | | | current status, and the mutual benefits accruing |
| Second Opium War (1856-1860), the Chinese had | | | | from the agreed "one country, two systems" |
| to relinquish the Kou-lung (Kowloon) peninsula, | | | | formula. Hong Kong continues to prosper, albeit |
| giving the British an important link to the mainland. | | | | timorously, 10 years after the historic handover. |
| Through the Convention of 1898, the New | | | | More articles from this pro: F. |