Why did Hong Kong unite itself with China instead of becoming a completely independant state?

Question

Hong Kong is well able to sustain itself economically so why unite with China? I know it has a different government system but they are only free to make their own laws, rules for 50 years, why accept that? What's going to happen to Hong Kong and Macau after their 50 years are up? Will they become communist also or be independant? Thanks & God bless.

Answer 1

Kowloon and the New Territories where most of the land, infrastures, rail link to China, airport, container ports lie were leased to the British until 1997. Britain could hang onto HK Island which is just a small piece of island, apart from its beautiful Peak and Repulse Bay, it has to pretty much rely on Kowloon and the NT to get to the outside world.



Ken above is being brain-washed by CCP claiming that China is filling the City with plenty of opportunities and money which indeed are deceptions. The influx of mainland tourists is costing the City with headaches and problems like pregnant mainlanders dashing to ER, mainland crooks staying behind as prostitudes, pickpockets, thieves stealing everything including trees and metal covers on streets, fake beggars, fake monks, scammers etc. The tourists dollar infact goes very little to the hands of HK people for the very fact that HK is tarriffs and tax free. Those imported brand names ie Prada, LV etc just need to pay for the rent and a few staff, majority of the sales revenue though got sent back to where they belong. Dont forget majority of mainland tourists are dirt cheap, staying in cheap hostels or going back to Shenzhen the same day, and eating cheap fast food in HK while the few big spenders are believed to be mainly corrupted officials and their families.



Ken has ignored the fact that one of HK's biggest industries is re-exports, tremendous volume of cargoes and containers go through HK every day with final destinations spread all over Asia due to the City's high efficiency in handling re-exports. Other industries that are on the rise include animation and movies. A lot of computer firms too are setting up Regional offices in HK as Hong Kong is the ONLY Chinese place that allows freedom of expressions and press with good rules and laws.

Answer 2

Part of China was signed to become a part of British sovereign lands as under the conventions that came about because of the so-called opium wars. In 1898, the British and the Chinese signed the Second Convention of Peking, without the use of warfare or guns, that allowed the British to lease the part of Hong Kong called the New territories for 99 years.



Up until the 1950s these parts of the land where mostly used for farming, however the need for extension forced urbanisation to occur on these parts.



When the lease came up the British government approached the P.R. of China for an extension of the lease of the land in the New territories however the P.R.C refused. Some say if the had not of done this the Chinese would not had mentioned about the lease. However because all of Hong Kong's major shipping ports and important unilites are based on on the lease parts. Due to the impossible task of facing to remove them plus the population that had settle there onto the main parts of Hong Kong and the threat that China would surround the remaining parts of Hong Kong off plus making life very difficult. Plus n the end it was more advisable to give back the whole of Hong Kong. In theory Hong Kong could go independent but it would have the same problems.

Answer 3

Numerous things:



HK was 'leased' out to Britain negotiated under the use of guns and thus was never really free. And never really separated from China but was loaned out.



Secondly HK has changed a lot. It is actually quite dependent on China for a lot of things. Water comes from Donguaan. Electricity from Daylia bay. Also a lot of the economy depends on bought citizenships. HK is not the HK of the past. If you go around Yeun Long, Tai Po there are massive industrial units. Whole city blocks devoted to manufacturing. These are now empty and dormant having moved north of the border.



As such HK's economy is based on finance (which is collasping), restricting land supply and related a housing ponzi scheme. The other sources of income are Mainland tourists. And selling citizenships to Mainland Chinese and property to keep the ponzi going.



So while the UN may well have recognised their bid for independence like with East Timor. The reality of such a move would probably have been pretty awful for the economy as the CCP would have been all business with them. I.e. Water from Donguaan? 5000% increase, electricity? 5000% increase. Whatcha gonna do?





The 50 year thing is a deal struck by Deng Xiaoping. Originally he wanted 100 years but agreed with Britain 50 years with an option to extend. The 50 years is a grace period. Ironically not for Hong Kong but for China. Deng wanted 50-100 years for Mainland China to catch up economically in living standards and politically with Hong Kong. Before proper open borders and full reunification. In the past ten years HK has merely just become a city with a lot of tall buildings in it with a colonial past. You stand in a major coastal city in China and it looks pretty similar.



A second thought is a lot of Chinese don't seem to give a damn about voting anyway. HK's recent 'elections' were restricted to a few 100 people instead of a universal sufferage system. Nobody really seemed to care much. As long as their lives remained the same no new taxes and that people were allowed to make money and own stuff. People seemed pretty muted about it. I do not claim however to port the view of every person in China or HK though and I could well be wrong.



By 2047 who knows what will have happened. The PRC has lasted 60 years. But the USSR only lasted about 70 years. But the CCP is quite clever and devious in its dealings to stay in power. 89 was a major turning point. But they dealt with it by sharing out the pie a bit more. The life span of the CCP is limited though as nothing lasts forever and there are some major social and economic problems which may well cause China to fracture again.





My own thought is that the CCP by 2025-2040 (if they last that long) will go Japan or Taiwan. In that Japan nominally is a democracy. But from the post war period 1950s-1990 Japan was effectively a one party state. The same government kept on getting re-elected to the Japanese Kokkai (parliment/diet) and thus it was a defacto one government system like China is now.



Taiwan was a nasty dictatorship till the mid 80s. They then changed to a voting system where they've had three elections I think, and the KMT which were the nasty dictators for 40 years. Are still the majority in power.



Thus even if the CCP go and give the popular vote it doesn't mean they will be booted out of power and can still engage in all the corruption they do even if ther eis voting. Like the politicians do in our western nations.

Answer 4

Freely said Re-export is HK's big industry. lol .....



HK was able to conduct the re-export business all because of China being isolated by the west. Hong Kong took that advantage.



Before 1980, people had to stay over in Hong Kong if they wanted to go to China, because of the isolation of China. It helped HK's tourist industry tremendously. HK took that advantage.



From 1970-1990, the light industry in HK was flourished, because the biggest labor market in the world, China, was isolated by the world, again, HK took that advantage.



All in all, every opportunity Hong Kong has gotten was related to the isolation of China, not created by Hong Kong. In other words, if China was not isolated by the West, no one needed Hong Kong and HK would likely have remained a fishing port.



Now, without heavy or light industry, and solely relying on the Chinese tourists while the status of the world financial center is being challenged by Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore and Korea, plus the extremely corrupt and incapable HK government, HK wont be able to survive without China. Lets say China stops Chinese tourists from coming to HK, without doubt, HK's economy would collapse instantly.



Of course, the pathetic situation of HK is actually created by England which had never had any intention to help HK build up a long term heavy and hi tech industry. England wanted only quick money for their own revenue.



Go independent ? LOL ....................

Answer 5

hahahahaha LOLOLOL, why do they accept that????"

you are talking that hongkong under british was a democratic entity with right to vote for referendum, the fact is the deal with the PRC were made government to government has nothing to do with what the people want.