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China Will Win The Hong Kong Battle
As Western Politicians Find Themselves Dealing With COVID — 19
Often referred to as “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong was officially returned to China by the United Kingdom in 1997 (after the expiration of a 99 year lease signed in 1898). Since then, Hong Kong has been in a constant state of long term political uncertainty with ebbs and flows in the level of news coverage it receives vis-à-vis the People’s Republic of China. However, since 2014 Hong Kong has become a zone of increasing tension both on the side of the protesters who want complete independence from China, and the government of China along with Carrie Lam (current chief Executive of Hong Kong).
The handover of Hong Kong back to China was done through the Sino-British Joint Declaration signed in 1984 which classified Hong Kong as a Special Administrative Zone — meaning, that the capitalist and democratic nature of Hong Kong would be protected until 2047. However, as it happens in international politics, the agreement was then signed under very different circumstances and power dynamics than the current status quo. Over the years, China’s influence and position in the world has sky…
