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The UK did try to democratize HK governance in the 60s but China immediately threatened military invasion.

by schuke 7y ago

dragonsh 7y ago
> The UK did try to democratize HK governance in the 60s but China immediately threatened military invasion. Not really due to fear of military invasion, but due to fear of economic fallout on UK and giving up some luxury for its own citizens for a right cause. Lavish lifestyle funded by colony's money is more important for UK than fight for the rights of the people of its colonies. They have milked every one of their colonies resources until the very last minute they left. Also before leaving they always sow seeds of division and failure. That's what they did for Hong Kong too. So saying they wanted to give democracy to HK is outlandish.
- javagram 7y ago
  in reality consider other western countries which attempted to stop decolonization and protect their citizens in those lands. French Algeria, Portuguese Goa - they lost the military fights and had to give up. The PRC fought the combined UN forces to a standstill in the Korean war in the 1950s, and the British empire had already fallen apart and was in no shape to fight China then in the context of the cold war.
  - dragonsh 7y ago
    UK didn't fall apart for 150 years, still they couldn't offer any democracy to Hong Kong. Also China had a lost decade in cultural revolution after 1962. So again if you look at the facts and history, it's laughable to even suggest that British wanted democracy for Hong Kong. It's the same old story of old British empire in every colony, where they will promise but never keep it. They were just hypocrite, the main intention was always that colony should not prosper or challenge British empire in future, after they leave.
    - javagram 7y ago
      When Britain decolonized their other colonies in the 1940s-60s they did take efforts to leave them with democratic governments (many of these did fall apart and become dictatorships or have other political issues as the countries were not developed enough for democracy to be viable.) Your dislike of the UK seems to be blinding you to historical facts? Or do you have sources that prove these statements incorrect? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_development_in_Hong_Kong https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_development_in_Ho... “Records declassified in 2014 show discussions about self-government between British and Hong Kong governments resumed in 1958, prompted by the British expulsion from India and growing anti-colonial sentiment in the remaining Crown Colonies. Zhou Enlai, representing the Communist Party of China at the time, warned, however, that this "conspiracy" of self-governance would be a "very unfriendly act" and that the Communist Party wished the present colonial status of Hong Kong to continue. China was facing increasing isolation in a Cold War world and the party needed Hong Kong for contacts and trade with the outside world.[19][20][21] 1960s Edit China's leaders explicitly wanted to "preserve the colonial status of Hong Kong".[21] Liao Chengzhi, a senior Chinese official in charge of Hong Kong affairs, said in 1960 that China "shall not hesitate to take positive action to have Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Territories liberated" should the status quo (i.e. colonial administration) be changed. The warning killed any democratic development for the next three decades.[22]“
y2kenny 7y ago
Not sure why this was downvoted when it's a statement of fact: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/28/world/asia/china-began-push-against-hong-kong-elections-in-50s.html https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/28/world/asia/china-began-pu...

The UK did try to democratize HK governance in the 60s but China immediately threatened military invasion.

by schuke 7y ago

The UK did try to democratize HK governance in the 60s but China immediately threatened military invasion.

> The UK did try to democratize HK governance in the 60s but China immediately threatened military invasion. Not really due to fear of military invasion, but due to fear of economic fallout on UK and giving up some luxury for its own citizens for a right cause. Lavish lifestyle funded by colony's money is more important for UK than fight for the rights of the people of its colonies. They have milked every one of their colonies resources until the very last minute they left. Also before leaving they always sow seeds of division and failure. That's what they did for Hong Kong too. So saying they wanted to give democracy to HK is outlandish.

javagram 7y ago
in reality consider other western countries which attempted to stop decolonization and protect their citizens in those lands. French Algeria, Portuguese Goa - they lost the military fights and had to give up. The PRC fought the combined UN forces to a standstill in the Korean war in the 1950s, and the British empire had already fallen apart and was in no shape to fight China then in the context of the cold war.
- dragonsh 7y ago
  UK didn't fall apart for 150 years, still they couldn't offer any democracy to Hong Kong. Also China had a lost decade in cultural revolution after 1962. So again if you look at the facts and history, it's laughable to even suggest that British wanted democracy for Hong Kong. It's the same old story of old British empire in every colony, where they will promise but never keep it. They were just hypocrite, the main intention was always that colony should not prosper or challenge British empire in future, after they leave.
  - javagram 7y ago
    When Britain decolonized their other colonies in the 1940s-60s they did take efforts to leave them with democratic governments (many of these did fall apart and become dictatorships or have other political issues as the countries were not developed enough for democracy to be viable.) Your dislike of the UK seems to be blinding you to historical facts? Or do you have sources that prove these statements incorrect? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_development_in_Hong_Kong https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_development_in_Ho... “Records declassified in 2014 show discussions about self-government between British and Hong Kong governments resumed in 1958, prompted by the British expulsion from India and growing anti-colonial sentiment in the remaining Crown Colonies. Zhou Enlai, representing the Communist Party of China at the time, warned, however, that this "conspiracy" of self-governance would be a "very unfriendly act" and that the Communist Party wished the present colonial status of Hong Kong to continue. China was facing increasing isolation in a Cold War world and the party needed Hong Kong for contacts and trade with the outside world.[19][20][21] 1960s Edit China's leaders explicitly wanted to "preserve the colonial status of Hong Kong".[21] Liao Chengzhi, a senior Chinese official in charge of Hong Kong affairs, said in 1960 that China "shall not hesitate to take positive action to have Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Territories liberated" should the status quo (i.e. colonial administration) be changed. The warning killed any democratic development for the next three decades.[22]“

y2kenny 7y ago

Not sure why this was downvoted when it's a statement of fact: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/28/world/asia/china-began-push-against-hong-kong-elections-in-50s.html https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/28/world/asia/china-began-pu...