Honk Kong is complicated!!
The answer lies in History of China and United Kingdom.
During colonization period, United Kingdom (UK) was expending their boundaries.
They had invaded Indian subcontinent and many African countries. China’s rich
culture attracts many invaders and UK was one of them. In initial days, UK was
importing tea and other herbs from China in Exchange of Silver, but when the
silver deposits were at their danger mark, UK conspire with many subgroups of
China to trade Opium (a drug) in exchange of silver.
The opium trade, grown in South East Asia, was in benefit of
UK and demolishing China’s Youth. Many of the Chinese men were in addition of
Opium. Chinese then government, the Qing Dynasty, wanted to stop the opium
trade but that had to face the consequences.
UK initiated the war, infamously known as ‘The Opium War’.
During the war China lost their territory and surrendered in front of UK. UK in
return agreed to sign a treaty. In that treaty, UK gained the hold
on a group of Islands, now famous as Hong Kong, for 99 Years of lease in 1898.
Now the Questions is, unlike any other country annexed by the
UK, how Hong Kong developed like any other European city? Answer to this
Question is Common interest of UK, France and USA in China. After Annexation,
UK utilized the Hong Kong Island as a trade market between China and rest of
the developed Nations. In the process of making the Hong Kong a global market
for all developed nations, the infra structure get developed.
Also during this, Hong Kong become the worlds first and
biggest free market which was a Tax haven for organizations and a stable domain
which was perfect for the businessmen. Therefore many organizations, across the
globe, have their head Quarters/regional offices in Hong Kong. This had pushed
the economy of Hong Kong.
And the lease of 99 yrs…
In 1990s, Hong Kong was the hub of business and trade across
world. China was eagerly waiting for the Treaty to expire, as Hong Kong’s
GDP was 1/3rd of China’s GDP & could support China Economically. China
started their talks with UK regarding handover of Hong Kong, but the difficulty
was in mixing the two separate cultures in to one. China being a full communist
country and had full dominance on the business running in their country, but on
the contrary Hong Kong was a free market region. China’s dominance on Hong Kong
market could jeopardize the equilibrium in Hong Kong. Both China and UK did
not want that to happen with Hong Kong.
Hong Kong also has large cultural difference with China. In Hong
Kong, People are freer and enjoy the liberty to do many such things which are
not allowed in China. For e.g. In 1989, a large massacre happen in China at
Tianamen Square, people in China are not allowed to even talk about that
unfortunate incident, however in Hong Kong, the residents pay tribute to the
victims of the massacre. Hong Kong has their own language, currency, constitution and many other such difference shall surface when the two
domains merge to one.
To avoid any such conflict, a new theory worked out – One nation
two System theory i.e. Hong Kong shall remain a democratic free market economy for
next 50 Yrs., under the control of China for external aggression. All parties were agreed to the
formula and the hand over took place in Yr. 1997.
China got tremendous benefit out of Hong Kong free market
model and infra structure development. China replicated the Hong Kong model in
many of their cities such as Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hangzhou and many more. China
had invest in these cities and made them a next generation business and manufacturing
hub for the world. This was the impact of Hong Kong over China, but does China repays
the favors to Hong Kong? Why is Hong Kong dying?
As China developed as a superpower, the Hong Kong region
contributing 27% of China’s GDP in 1998, is now contributing only 3% of China’s
GDP. This is because of copy development done in many other Chinese regions. As
the importance of Hong Kong is reduced to many folds, China also bothered less
about the Hong Kong’s autonomy.
In view to increase their influence and dominance in Hong
Kong, China is intervening in Hong Kong by imposing their policies such as placing a pro China
politicians in the local government, infuancing their education system. Hong Kong is now struggling for the existence
of their free culture. The Hong Kong residents get united several times and hold a strong
voice against Chinese interventions.
Not only the Chinese intervention is the problem for Hong
Kong residents, also they have an over expensive accommodation issue. A very
developed region is facing an issue of very dense population leading to
expensive accommodation. The people working in lower income groups had to pay atleast 50% of
their salaries for a decent accommodation. They are force to live in
a match box style flats with common kitchen and bathroom facility.
This is because of the poor implementation of the Housing policy.
In Hong Kong, all land belongs to Government and they allocate a piece of land
on a lease to a housing developer. Accordingly, housing developer either builds
a luxurious home for top brass of Hong Kong or builds densely accommodated
flats for a very premium price. Also after 1997, Chinese billionaires had heavily invested in Hong Kong which leads to sky rocketed price of housing property.
Now, I see an opportunity for China to enter in to the Hong
Kong Culture. As per Communist ideology, all human beings shall be treated as
equals. This propaganda can be used by China to lure lower and medium income
group people to promise for cheap homes, in case they support China towards
withdrawing the autonomy of Hong Kong.
This is surely gonna happen within next Decade and I also see
opportunity for India to grab the unsatisfied organization present in Hong Kong
and offer a better place in India...
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