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