the colony prospered.
It was a colony with the full protection of the British crown.
Sigh..., I'm so sorry but what in the hell does that have to do with anything? Are you going to tell me that the military protection of the crown made Hong Kong an economic powerhouse? If that were the case then North Korea should be gilded, the Soviet Union should be my next investment. We are trying to talk about economics..., what the hell. Government education.