Can anyone explain why Hong Kong was given to the Chinese in the first place?
I have always thought that the British should have turned Hong Kong over to Taiwan and then Taiwan should have granted them their independence.
As Tai_Chung noted, the 99-year lease between the UK and China ended in 1997.
That was in no way a fair lease. What country would freely lease one of its cities to another country? It would be humiliating. The Hong Kong lease only happened because China was weak, and the UK was strong.
But now China is strong, and the UK is weak. So the UK had no option but to let Hong Kong go. One Chinese division could have overrun the city in a day. And then what could the UK have done? After all, the lease was over.
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.
“Can anyone explain why Hong Kong was given to the Chinese in the first place?”
Racism.
For once that’s the actual reason.
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...... good question.
Can anyone explain how old time miserable JEWISH Senators like:
continue to make $$$$$$$ millions working for China?
This country has been corrupted by the same crowd for decades. (Those who shall not ne named...)
And BTW,Portugal had a similar arrangement in Macau,which is a short boat ride from Hong Kong.That lease expired in 1999.
To do anything but hand them over would have been stupid...China would have just rolled the tanks in if Britain and Portugal hadn't done so.
Hong Kong has always been part of China.
The port was leased to the United Kingdom for 99 years in 1898.
The lease ran out.
Slick Willie was President. His She Wolf wife was selling State Secrets to the Chinese at the time.
Always follow the money!
“Can anyone explain why Hong Kong was given to the Chinese in the first place?”
Because it is to small and highly populated to defend.
That said, the Bloody Britdogs did a piss poor job with the treaty. If you want to blame Margret Thather for anything, this is it.
Comon man! listen jack, these guys are a nice bunch of guys
The UK did not want to risk a war with the PRC in 1999. A war which would have destroyed HK anyway.
I assume for the same reason England handed their country over to Islam: England is run by insane people.
The Brits abandoned them with the clear understanding as to what would transpire. The 50 year phase in was a farce and they knew it.
The West cowers. The long journey to the prelude to war.