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History: Britain Recalls Rueful Return of Hong Kong to China

June 30, 2007, is an unforgettable partTerritories, together with some 235
of history for Britain as it is the 10thislands, were leased to Britain for 99
anniversary of the controversialyears commencing July 1, 1898. Hong
handover of Hong Kong to China. For theKong's population expanded rapidly from
British it was the loss of the most120,000 in 1861 to more than 300,000 by
valuable of her few remaining vestigesthe end of the 19th century. In the
of empire. For China it was theearly 20th century its population
acquisition of a prize that gave her aexpanded even faster as it became an
bustling, thriving financial hub, aeconomic and political refuge from
portal into the Western capitalistChina, and yet further as a result of
world, complete with its own stockpeople seeking refuge from the
exchange index, the Hang Seng.Sino-Japanese War of 1937. After the
Negotiating the transfer proved to beSecond World War (when Hong Kong was
one of the more painful episodes oftemporarily lost by Britain to Japan),
Britain's withdrawal from her formerimmigrant labor was used to establish
colonial status. As the 99-year leasesuch light industries as textiles and
drew to an end, the two partiesplastics. Throughout the West, the
negotiated hard. The British eventuallylabels "Made in Hong Kong" or "Empire
accepted Chinese premier Deng Xiaoping'sMade" (often the same thing), became
"one country, two systems" formula,bywords for cheap and shoddy goods. Yet,
which allowed Hong Kong a high degree ofas with larger Eastern neighbors such as
commercial and social autonomy andJapan, the hardworking entrepreneurs and
guaranteed its capitalistic structurelaborers of Hong Kong effected an
for 50 years. At midnight on June 30,economic transformation. Poor housing
1997, after 156 years of British rule,and oppressive labor conditions improved
the union flag was lowered, folded, andfrom the end of the 1960s, and
handed to Chris Patten, governor of thehigh-technology industries such as
tiny colony. The sadness of the handoverelectronics developed. Relationships
was reflected in the tears of thebetween Hong Kong and China gained
governor's wife and daughters, and hestrength, and--despite the setback of a
fought to hold back his own emotions.financial collapse in 1973--Hong Kong
The heavy rain seemed to magnify thedeveloped into a major financial and
poignancy of the occasion, as did thelight industrial hub. What is now
unhappy faces of gathered dignitaries,mainland Hong Kong is 422 square miles,
including Prince Charles, British Primewhile Hong Kong island itself, and
Minister Tony Blair, and two formersmaller adjacent islets, are just 35
British premiers, Margaret Thatcher andsquare miles in area. The vexing
Edward Heath. Prince Charles summed upquestion of British jurisdiction over
the mood in a diary entry, referring tothe leased areas of the New Territories
the event as "the great Chinesebegan to loom large as the lease
takeaway." Hong Kong is an ancientapproached its 1997 expiration date. The
island settlement with archaeologicalChinese-British joint declaration on the
artifacts dating back to Neolithicfuture of Hong Kong was, however, agreed
times. When the British arrived in 1821in 1984. There followed further
it had very little to commend it, as itdifficult negotiations between Hong Kong
lacked good soil or even fresh water.and China on the details of future
The main habitation at the time was aChinese rule and the territory's special
small fishing village, but the islandstatus. Nonetheless, the basic structure
has an excellent natural, deep andof law for Hong Kong was ratified by its
sheltered harbor with two entrancesNational People's Congress in April
("Hong Kong" means "fragrant harbor").1990. On the day of the handover, July
The British realized its great1, 1997, a token detachment of Chinese
potential, lying as it does on a majortroops rolled into Hong Kong. But so
trading route. Initially, Hong Kong wasfar, the Chinese have recognized the
used primarily for the notorious opiumunique and mutual benefit that results
trade, and after the First Opium Warfrom the territory's current status, and
(1832-1841), the Chinese ceded thethe mutual benefits accruing from the
island to Britain. Following the Secondagreed "one country, two systems"
Opium War (1856-1860), the Chinese hadformula. Hong Kong continues to prosper,
to relinquish the Kou-lung (Kowloon)albeit timorously, 10 years after the
peninsula, giving the British anhistoric handover.
important link to the mainland. ThroughMore articles from this pro: F.
the Convention of 1898, the New



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