I'd imagine if Britain starts making moves towards full self-government in Hong Kong you'd get China giving serious thought to invading.
Exactly so.
I'd imagine if Britain starts making moves towards full self-government in Hong Kong you'd get China giving serious thought to invading.
None, as there would be no war. China did come very close to conducting a police action during the Cold War so it is not that unrealistic. FYI NATO does not protect non North American or European holdings of its members (Falklands anyone?)Which leader of China, and at what point in time, would go and start a war with NATO?
Deng Xiaoping explicitly threatened Thatcher that his troops can take over Hong Kong on the spot. And when Thatcher asked Reagan for assistance, he responded with an extremely polite letter.Which leader of China, and at what point in time, would go and start a war with NATO?
...Pternagy and Tyr have hit the core of the problem.
Hong Kong was just too small to survive.
What is more reprehensible is the reluctance of the UK to accept immigration from Hong Kong - these extremely loyal and hardworking Chinese people could have been an effective counterweight to the less scrupulous economic migrants and to those who want to abolish democracy and religious tolerance in the UK.
Unfortunately, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office just didn't have the vision. No surprise, there... *Thinks : That rat Salisbury and Heligoland*
A pity, as otherwise Chinese cuisine would be on every street corner. It would also have ensured the immigration of loyal Gurkhas.
I'm an unashamed multiracialist.
Could a Korean War POD get the UK an extended lease? Which would mean that these issues would have to be resolved in this century?Actually that's a very good point- Britain had plausible reasons not to push for democratic reform in Hong Kong. It's reasons for not granting Hong Kongers British citizenship are much murkier.
Could a Korean War POD get the UK an extended lease? Which would mean that these issues would have to be resolved in this century?
Could a Korean War POD get the UK an extended lease? Which would mean that these issues would have to be resolved in this century?
Wouldn't the Hong Kongers (ites?) be economic migrants too?...Pternagy and Tyr have hit the core of the problem.
Hong Kong was just too small to survive.
What is more reprehensible is the reluctance of the UK to accept immigration from Hong Kong - these extremely loyal and hardworking Chinese people could have been an effective counterweight to the less scrupulous economic migrants and to those who want to abolish democracy and religious tolerance in the UK.
Unfortunately, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office just didn't have the vision. No surprise, there... *Thinks : That rat Salisbury and Heligoland*
A pity, as otherwise Chinese cuisine would be on every street corner. It would also have ensured the immigration of loyal Gurkhas.
I'm an unashamed multiracialist.
Sino Soviet War in the '60s, British provide aid to the Chinese on the condition of making the New Territories a permanent addition?The Chinese towards the end made it clear that if there wasn't a handover that they were pretty much just going to take it.
There really aren't that many ways to save British Hong Kong, in the end.
Sino Soviet War in the '60s, British provide aid to the Chinese on the condition of making the New Territories a permanent addition?
Sino Soviet War in the '60s, British provide aid to the Chinese on the condition of making the New Territories a permanent addition?
The unspoken reason is because the British feared Chinese infiltration in Hong Kong during the Cold War, and activists for greater democracy were considered subversives and often received unfriendly police visits at midnight.
...Pternagy and Tyr have hit the core of the problem.
Hong Kong was just too small to survive.
What is more reprehensible is the reluctance of the UK to accept immigration from Hong Kong - these extremely loyal and hardworking Chinese people could have been an effective counterweight to the less scrupulous economic migrants and to those who want to abolish democracy and religious tolerance in the UK.
Unfortunately, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office just didn't have the vision. No surprise, there... *Thinks : That rat Salisbury and Heligoland*
A pity, as otherwise Chinese cuisine would be on every street corner. It would also have ensured the immigration of loyal Gurkhas.
I'm an unashamed multiracialist.
I'm not sure TBH. I was working on the assumption that might Mao occupy Hong Kong in retaliation for Britain's involvement in Korea and at the end of the War Britain gets given an extended lease as part of the Armistice. I've no idea how plausible that is though.What sort of Korean War POD could get Britain an extended lease?
...In any case, even if the New Territories were formally annexed, Deng will still demand its return - Macau was permanently ceded and it was returned to China too.