Posted on 05/21/2020 8:16:46 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
> Has UK even issued a statement on this ChiCom takeover of HK? <
Others probably know more about this than I do, but from what I’ve read the 1997 transfer of sovereignty went rather smoothly.
I don’t know how the UK feels about this current crisis. But part of me wants to say that it’s none of their business. Yes, the Chinese communists are monsters. And yes, the ChiComs agreed to a 50-year special relationship deal.
But Hong Kong is a Chinese city. It just is. The British only had power there for awhile because they bullied their way in.
That does NOT mean that the ChiComs should not be criticized. In fact, they should be criticized all day long - for their human rights abuses, for their imperial behavior, and for unleashing the Wuhan virus in the world.
All I’m saying is that the UK has no special right to criticize China over Hong Kong. I hope that makes some sense.
I see. You were referring to everyone emigrating. Evac brought something different to mind. But I get your point.
I think they will have a hard time coming.
// Gracefully surrender the things of youth: birds, clean air, tuna, Taiwan.
-Deteriorata //
Good one!
National Lampoon Radio Dinner
I still have that vinyl around here somewhere.
As Tai_Chung pointed out.
Though to go back, to the 1800s - the UK as an opium dealer wanted to sell to opium addicts in China. The Chinese govt said no, so the UK went to war. The UK won and got HK island in a 99 year lease. This is kind of like if the drug cartels go to war with the US and win and then force the USA to allow them to import drugs AND take Florida in a 99 year lease...
The assumption was that in 1997 China would still be weak. However WWI and II came and the situation changed.
A note - during most of the 99 years, the UK didn’t allow any semblance of democracy in HK - it was only the last governor, in the last few years who put in the democracy setup.
Under Thatcher the UK tried to negotiate an extension to the lease but the Chinese government said No.
BTW, the 99 year lease was over the “New Territories” - the mainland part of HK, while the island itself was occupied by the UK directly, no lease.
But without the New Territories, HK isn’t viable - no fresh water etc.
And the UK realized that giving it to Taiwan or not giving it to China was not viable - a legacy of colonialism surrounded by China? Not possible. So they gave it up.
HK stock market dropping like a stone.
Lots of Chinese elites losing their butts.
...but that’s better than losing power.
Yep, I worry for Taiwan as it will go the same way.This will go hot when they take Taiwan.
> the UK as an opium dealer wanted to sell to opium addicts in China. The Chinese govt said no, so the UK went to war. <
Right. Good post yours. A friend of mine - a history teacher - once remarked that the British upper class were the most amoral people in the world. I didn’t argue with him.
Thus is abrogation of the treaty.
Hong Kong is therefore independent.
“Can anyone explain why Hong Kong was given to the Chinese in the first place?”
Racism.
For once that’s the actual reason.
“How long before Dems call for unlimited refugee status for all Hong Kong residents?”
They’re not anti-American Muslims, so, no.
“Tai_Chung noted, the 99-year lease between the UK and China ended in 1997.”
Hong Kong was ceded in perpetuity, as was Kowloon.
That was not the reason Hong Hong was turned over.
Stop saying ignorant things.
First, not our problem. Second, Hong Kong was leased to the UK, the lease ended. Third, when the UK left, they left the people and did not give them access to the UK or citizenship. They remained Chinese citizens of Hong Kong. None of this involved the US, they are not our citizens, not our problem. Hong Kong and the Chinese there were part of China, leased, and now returned. Maybe it sucks for them, but not our problem. Maybe they can help fix China now that they have returned.
In the 1700s, 1800s and early 1900s definitely. Now, I don’t know.
The Chinese takeover of HK is actually a loss as this sends a strong message to Taiwan that one country two systems will not work.
This is typical Xi, he is moving too fast. The other post Deng leader were content to grow slowly and not ruffle feathers. The Sun Tzu method. Xi is impatient and due to this will lose.
> Stop saying ignorant things. <
Why in the world must you resort to a personal insult? I am not an expert on Hong Kong. But I am an expert on Relativity. I’ve taught college courses on the subject. Sometimes folks will say something here on that subject that I feel is wrong. I offer a correction. But I do not insult them. I am not ten years old on a school playground.
Anyway, my post re Hong Kong was an overview. And that whole “perpetuity” thing meant absolutely nothing. The UK could hold Hong Kong proper only as long as it had the strength to do so.
As I noted in an earlier post, if the UK had insisted on enforcing the perpetuity clause, a single Chinese division could have overrun the place in a day.
If you want to continue this discussion civilly, fine. Perhaps you could offer insights that I would be interested in. But if you want to just trade insults, I’m not interested in that at all.
Sen. Von Hollen and Toomey are two of the weakest senators in Congress. Von Hollen (D-MD) is a typical mouthy quish and Toomey (R-Pa) is just as sleazy/quishy.
Both know that any sanctions against Red Chinese individuals are useless, like trying to stop a hurricane with a fart.
Good way to weasel around confronting Red China head-on about their violations of human rights, political agreements, territorial provocations/aggression, and war-posturing against smaller, non-nuclear armed nations.
In other words, these two are cowardly senatorial turds. They make a lot of stink but do nothing other than make a little noise and then dry up like all dog crap does.
Sorry but it is very tiresome and irksome to hear common misinformation repeated.
Especially when it serves only to support the Chinese Communists.
#39. Re “why” is China “killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Red China is “power hungry” and goose eggs, golden or otherwise, are “power food”.
They’ve already seized Tibet, Macao and soon, Hong Kong, plus some of the Tai U Tao/Paracel Islands, and sea lanes in the South China Seas. They see themselves as “on a roll” (no, not an egg roll), and with the Democrats in the US Congress viewed as their “secret buddies”, what has Peking got to lose by going on the offensive.
They figured Trump would be gone by now but they can wait until the next Democrat “impeachment” ploy to aid them in weakening the president’s resistance to their aggression.
Why not? The Dems sold out three countries to Communism, genocide and slavery in Southeast Asia. Selling out Hong Kong, then Taiwan will be “routine” for them if they win the Senate and/or White House.
Red China “can wait”. They are very patient and know that they have a big “Fifth Column” in the Democrats in America.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.