terence
Banned
Hong Kong Reality Check
The PLA could have walked into HK anytime after 1948. It was common cause that the Territory was indefensible. Why didn't the Chinese take it back or even demand a speed up of the handover? Simply that HK was their only channel to the West from 1948 to 1980 and was useful economically and politically. They only ever insisted that it was "Chinese Territory obtained by unequal treaties". The place neatly changed from being "The colony of Hong Kong" to "The territory of Hong Kong" to please China.
In the 70s and 80s as the handover got close there was a lot of debate about what to do. Depending on who was actually calling the shots in Beijing, several options arose. First HK Island and Kowloon up to Boundry Street were ceded to Britain "In perpertuity". Trouble is , Boundry Street is a short walk from Nathan Road . The Island and Kowloon are not viable on their own in a modern world. There was discussion about a 50 year or even 99 year renewed lease on the NT. There was even the theory that "Gow Sip Gow" (Ninety-nine in Cantonese), actually meant "for ever".
The bottom line is that with the changes in China in the 80s--HK has actually taken over China, rather than the other way around.
As to how the UK may have handled a precipitate takover see "The eye of the Tiger' by Douglas Hurd, a one-time British Foreign Minister
The PLA could have walked into HK anytime after 1948. It was common cause that the Territory was indefensible. Why didn't the Chinese take it back or even demand a speed up of the handover? Simply that HK was their only channel to the West from 1948 to 1980 and was useful economically and politically. They only ever insisted that it was "Chinese Territory obtained by unequal treaties". The place neatly changed from being "The colony of Hong Kong" to "The territory of Hong Kong" to please China.
In the 70s and 80s as the handover got close there was a lot of debate about what to do. Depending on who was actually calling the shots in Beijing, several options arose. First HK Island and Kowloon up to Boundry Street were ceded to Britain "In perpertuity". Trouble is , Boundry Street is a short walk from Nathan Road . The Island and Kowloon are not viable on their own in a modern world. There was discussion about a 50 year or even 99 year renewed lease on the NT. There was even the theory that "Gow Sip Gow" (Ninety-nine in Cantonese), actually meant "for ever".
The bottom line is that with the changes in China in the 80s--HK has actually taken over China, rather than the other way around.
As to how the UK may have handled a precipitate takover see "The eye of the Tiger' by Douglas Hurd, a one-time British Foreign Minister