Asia: geography, history, and contemporary issues

Hong Kong was colonized by quite a few nations before it was returned to Chinese control. Among the colonizers were Japan in World War II and Great Britain. On July 1, 1997 sovereignty of Hong Kong was returned to China from England. Britain had gained control of China in the 1800s after the Opium War. Their possession was interrupted in the Second World War. Hong Kong was a colony of the British Isles for more than a century. It was a place for economic development and great amounts of resources, which is one of the primary reasons for the continued fighting over the land.

Before Hong Kong was returned to China, there were many protests in the nation that the British government was unconcerned with the rights or cares of the people of Hong Kong. Starting in 1995, individual in Hong Kong began preparation for the return, believing that their living conditions would only be bettered under Chinese rule (Decolonization). It was argued that under British rule, "The workers do not have the right to union representation of their choice. Housing is crowded and unsafe. Rents are the highest in the world. More than a million people live crowded in places with more than seven people per room. Over half a million are homeless or live as squatters in shacks on mountainsides, shores or highway underpasses. Thousands even live in tiny wire cages five feet high and seven feet long" (Decolonization). The circumstances under British colonialism were as bad in Hong Kong as in India. The people were second to the desires of the colonizers.

The government in Hong Kong was all British-controlled. Part of the agreement when China took possession was that the government would maintain the "democratic" government setup. During the late 1980s and early 1990s this form of government was controlled by a former member of Parliament, Chris Patten (Decolonization). Part of this government set up allowed for the first election of the people in 1995. It was believed that this decision was strategic as those elected would still be in power when the hand off was made to China. In response the Chinese government set up a "provisional legislature" which would have the power to overrule those elected after July 1.

It should be noted that no emissaries from either Britain or the United States participated in the celebration of the Chinese takeover. Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer was quoted as saying, "Gone are the days when we would wait to the see that Britain and the U.S. did before deciding our own agenda. We are an Asia-Pacific country. Britain is a Eurpean country. Our future, our destiny, is in the Asia-Pacific" (Pomeroy 1997). Some critics of the world have labeled the situation with Hong Kong and China as a turning point in terms of the world's perception of the two larger Western powers.