Re: Hong Kong.. Anyone here NOT see this coming?

[annabanana]

The whole turnover of HongKong to China, for me, comes under the category of

"What could possibly go wrong?"

and

"Who could have foreseen?"

[pampango]

1. True although I don't know what recourse the UK since its lease was expiring then.

Using force to try to hold on to Hong Kong indefinitely would not seem to have been a very liberal approach for the UK to have taken.

The UK could have legally retained control of Hong Kong and Kowloon but the lease on the New Territories was expiring in 1997. They did not believe that returning the New Territories while retaining Hong Kong and Kowloon would work well. Plus, the probably saw better long-term relations with China as very important so they tried to cut as good a deal as they could for the people of Hong Kong and then handed them over.

You are right that difficulties were inevitable - though I'm not sure what course would have avoided the same or other difficulties.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_of_sovereignty_over_Hong_Kong

[MADem]

2. I am surprised it took so long, actually. nt