AHC: Independent Hong Kong

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James G

Gone Fishin'
The end of the 99 year lease on the New Territories is always going to make an independent Hong Kong near impossible.
All of the infrastructure that would make them viable as an independent nation was located there. Legally, that 80+ % of the colony had to go back to China in 1997.
Where would HK get its drinking water from? Where would all those people from there live in the newer, smaller HK?
The shipping ports were up there too, which, along with the financial centre, made HK what it was/is.
I suppose that political chaos in China could cause a new deal to be done in the 1950-90 time period, but that's hard for me to forsee.
 
The end of the 99 year lease on the New Territories is always going to make an independent Hong Kong near impossible.
All of the infrastructure that would make them viable as an independent nation was located there. Legally, that 80+ % of the colony had to go back to China in 1997.
Where would HK get its drinking water from? Where would all those people from there live in the newer, smaller HK?
The shipping ports were up there too, which, along with the financial centre, made HK what it was/is.
I suppose that political chaos in China could cause a new deal to be done in the 1950-90 time period, but that's hard for me to forsee.

Maybe the cultural revolution leaves China even more crippled and Britain offers aid in exchange for the New Territories.
 
Any time after 1943 is going to be too late, I think.

IIRC, Britain did offer to return the British colony at Weihaiwei (in Shandong) in exchange for making the lease on the New Territories a permanent handover. That's probably the easiest way to do it.
 
Renegotiate the treaty in the late 50s with the 'legitimate' government, ie Taipei, with strong british backing for Chiang in exchange for ceding the new territories, probably permanently. Beijing is too weak to do anything about it at the time, and come the 80s, Hong Kong is booming and wants nothing to do with communism. Again, this would be helped if democracy were introduced much earlier.

Then the British dont HAVE to negotiate, 'cause they already did that. Beijing would get very huffy, but if HK had a formal defense treaty with eg UK, US, possibly canada and australia, beijing might not dare invade.
 
China and the USSR go to war (for what ever reason) before the US courts them and Britain offers help in return for a permanent ceding of the new territories and then eventually HK gains independence.
 
China and the USSR go to war (for what ever reason) before the US courts them and Britain offers help in return for a permanent ceding of the new territories and then eventually HK gains independence.

Britain offering to help Red China sometime in the 60s? Seems highly unlikely, since the West didn't really realise the impact of the sino-soviet split until the early 70s
 
The influx of Mandarin speakers into all southern cities is starting to upset the Canto/Mandarin balance a bit though, and the governments goal is still a unified China, so I don't know how against the dissolving of Canto culture they are.

There have been a substantial number of Mandarin speakers who have immigrated to Hong Kong as well.

Also, the CPC is nowhere near as powerful as you make it out to be.
 
Renegotiate the treaty in the late 50s with the 'legitimate' government, ie Taipei, with strong british backing for Chiang in exchange for ceding the new territories, probably permanently. Beijing is too weak to do anything about it at the time, and come the 80s, Hong Kong is booming and wants nothing to do with communism. Again, this would be helped if democracy were introduced much earlier.

Then the British dont HAVE to negotiate, 'cause they already did that. Beijing would get very huffy, but if HK had a formal defense treaty with eg UK, US, possibly canada and australia, beijing might not dare invade.
1) Britain was the first non-Soviet bloc country to recognize the PRC.
2) Chiang Kai Shek was a deep and committed Chinese nationalist (the only thing he genuinely believed in), so he won't agree to cede away Chinese territory. In fact he had Truman's backing to unilaterally take back Hong Kong in 1945.
3) Post-war Britain was bankrupt and unable to project power into East Asia.
 
Here's my idea.

In 1898, the British fight a third opium war against the Chinese and win. They then take control of the New Territories. Unlike in our timeline, it's not leased for 99 years.

The Chinese Civil War is won by the KMT. But they are incapable of controlling all of China so many provinces declare independence especially in the west. Most of the south and east is still under KMT control.

The British Empire is starting to decay, many of it's colonies are becoming independent. They try to keep Hong Kong but suddenly, a large independent movement forces Britain to step back and allow Hong Kong to be independent in the 1960s.

The new HK government is very strict. While not totally authoritarian as elections are still held for the president and parliament, the elections are often won in favour of a single party like Singapore's PAP. This new Hong Kong starts off rocky but begins to prosper. It successfully negotiates a deal with the ROC which will allow water and other resources to be transferred to Hong Kong from Guangdong, it negotiates trade deals with other countries and starts to build up itself. However, the new government arrests many political opponents and ruthless suppresses an uprising for greater democracy.

In the late 1970s, another party challenges the ruling party and wins the election. This new party allows true democracy. The transition takes about 8 years.

Today, this Hong Kong is still rich and prospering but more self-reliable. It even has an army with bases built in Western Tuen Mun, Chek Lap Kok, Shek Kong, Lo Wu and Basalt Island.
 

Kaze

Banned
Here is my way: Britian wins the Opium Wars. Seeing that Jardine-Matheson is basically the new British India Company in that region, the whole is given to the company to run without the lease - China at the time of the 2nd Opium War would have no choice but accept that Jardine would have direct rule of the city. They would run the city and the territories unless something happens like the Japanese taking Hong Kong.

Sir Henry Keswick, chairman of Jardine, would be currently in charge of the city. It would not be a democracy, but one large company with stock holders (which I am one).
 
Here's my idea.

In 1898, the British fight a third opium war against the Chinese and win. They then take control of the New Territories. Unlike in our timeline, it's not leased for 99 years.

The Chinese Civil War is won by the KMT. But they are incapable of controlling all of China so many provinces declare independence especially in the west. Most of the south and east is still under KMT control.

The British Empire is starting to decay, many of it's colonies are becoming independent. They try to keep Hong Kong but suddenly, a large independent movement forces Britain to step back and allow Hong Kong to be independent in the 1960s.

The new HK government is very strict. While not totally authoritarian as elections are still held for the president and parliament, the elections are often won in favour of a single party like Singapore's PAP. This new Hong Kong starts off rocky but begins to prosper. It successfully negotiates a deal with the ROC which will allow water and other resources to be transferred to Hong Kong from Guangdong, it negotiates trade deals with other countries and starts to build up itself. However, the new government arrests many political opponents and ruthless suppresses an uprising for greater democracy.

In the late 1970s, another party challenges the ruling party and wins the election. This new party allows true democracy. The transition takes about 8 years.

Today, this Hong Kong is still rich and prospering but more self-reliable. It even has an army with bases built in Western Tuen Mun, Chek Lap Kok, Shek Kong, Lo Wu and Basalt Island.

I like this idea a lot, but probably better to start a new thread than to revive one that's six years old.
 
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