The Effects of Colonization in Hong Kong

Early Colonization Period...

Geography of Hong Kong

• Early accounts of life show that the colonists had many obstacles to overcome
• New settlement was ravaged by fire and levelled by typhoons
• Population decimated by fevers
• Encouragement was given to merchants
• A big number of new buildings were under constructions
• the capital of Hong Kong was named Victoria after her Majesty The Queen

• land area 1,092 sq km (Ottawa is 2.5 times bigger than Hong Kong)
• Hong Kong island, ceded by China in 1842 under the Treaty of Nanjing
• Kowloon peninsula, ceded in 1860 under the Beijing Convention
• New Territories was leased from China in 1898 for 99 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong#mediaviewer

Hong Kong- map of colonial

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Hong_Kong#mediaviewer/File:Hk-map-colonial.png

Victoria in 1980s

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Hong_Kong#mediaviewer File:City_of_Victoria,_Hong_Kong.jpg

Background of Hong Kong

• Situated on the south-east coast of China
• the Island was taken by the British in 1842
• Under 140 years of British rule
• 1984 Sino-British agreement mandated the end of British colonialism
• Sovereignty was taken back by People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997

Coat of Arms

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Hong_Kong#mediaviewer/File:Coat_of_arms_of_Hong

Hong Kong 1997 handover ceremony (Transfer of Sovereignty)

Current situation between China and Hong Kong

Jackie Chan

http://mlpforums.com/topic/115882-any-pony-here-familiar-with-jackie-chan/

Some HK actors like Jackie Chan have a close relationship with mainland of China, because they clearly knows without the mainland China, no ones is going to provide such a big number of audiences for them. Jackie really loves China, he sees China as his motherland, and that’s the reason that the citizens of Hong Kong denies him the most.

The present situation, whereby a colony is handed over to another country rather than being granted independence, is unique in Britain's twentieth-century decolonization process. Hong Kong's return to China was negotiated by Britain and China without reference to the wishes of the people of Hong Kong, thus continuing the trend begun by Britain in 1841.

"One country, two systems."

https:youtube.com/watch?v=ukXktCut_C4

Current issues between HK &mainland China

• On 30th. June 1997 Britain returned Hong Kong to China and it is now classed as a Special Administrative Region of China operating under the principle of “one country two systems”.
• People who comes from main land China still needs a Hong Kong-Macau special pass in order to visits these two Special Administrative Regions.
• Hong Kong citizens keep having protests due to political disaggrements between the HK and Chinese governments. (Ex. Umbrella Revolution Sept.2014)
• But issue is not just democracy, but also economics: People in Hong Kong complain that too many jobs are being given to graduates from Beijing, and too many middle-class people from HK are being priced out of the real estate market by moguls from Shanghai.

Hong Kong Protest: Police fire tear gas at crowd

Prevention

In order to avoid the violence in Hong Kong, there is a few things the governments of mainland China and Hong Kong need to do...

• Carry on the 'one country, two systems' constitutional principle.
• The two governments are supposed to tell the citizens of Hong Kong demonstrating gain nothing but only damage their own property and makes the issue worse.

Conclusion

The current situation of Hong Kong is that the “Hong Kongness” do not support Chinese government. However, they are relying on the mainland China on economics. Without the helping and supporting of Chinese government, as a non-agriculture special administrative region, they are not even able to feed themselves.

“Hong Kong's history has always been controversial and looks set to remain so. The historical legacy is a tricky one for both China and Britain, the two nations who have maintained control over the area, have left and continue to leave much to be desired in their dealings with the people of Hong Kong and with each other. ” （He Tao)

Hong Kong had a taste of democracy from Britain at the end of colonization period, that is the reason they do not want the

Chinese government expand its control over their political system.(Socialist system) However, the future of Hong Kong is yet to be determined in the next few years.

https:youtube.com/watch?v=-Zy-BVPgOPQ

You can gain a tremendous view of Victoria Harbour and Central from Victoria Peak

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2331200/Hong-Kong-holidays-Ghosts-Britain-past-Chinas-colonial-island.html

http://www.historytoday.com/kate-lowe/hong-kongs-missing-history

Major effects of British's colonization of HK

1. Culture

2. Language

3. Education

4. Laws & Legislation

5. Military

6. Economic

7. Religion

8. Government employees

9. Nationality

10. Customs

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/british_hong_kong

Government employees:

A large number of British employees came into HK and took charge of major positions in the HK government.

Nationality:

A large number of upper class citizens in HK immigrated to Britain.

Customs:

The citizens of HK accepted more western holidays and began to celebrate them.(Christmas etc.)

Laws & Legislation:

HK inherited all the law and legislation systems from Britain, the USA and France.

Military:

The British took over the military of HK.

Economic:

The gate of HK’s market completely opened for Western countries.

Religion:

Christianity and Catholicism became the major religions in HK.

Culture:

Mixed culture of Western (European) and Eastern (Asian).

Language:

English becomes one and the only official language during that period, all the government employees needs to speak English.

Education:

Schools in HK inherited the British education system. English became a major subject for students in HK. People who have British academic qualification enjoy the privilege of getting jobs.

• London Missionary Society establishes Hong Kong College of Medicine, which later became the University of Hong Kong. First western institute of higher education in Hong Kong.

Thesis: China and Hong Kong cannot get along due to the disagreement in its politic system and it causes continuous demonstrations in Hong Kong. This issue between mainland China and Hong Kong stem from the intensive colonization of Hong Kong by Britain.

How colonization begin...?

The primary motive of British imperialism in China in the nineteenth century was economic. There was a high demand for Chinese tea, silk and porcelain in the British market.

http://vikingalthing.org/article/viking-berserkers-narcotic-drugs-prescription-otherwise-opium-proxy-profit-wars-english/

Chronology of Events

• 1760——————British began to use Opium as a Cash Crop for both Chinese commodities and silver

• 1836——————Qing Court formally prohibits all imports of Opium and attempts to close the ports of Canton and Shanghai

• 1842——————Hong Kong became a British colony

• 1898-1901——— Chinese anti-Foreign uprising, Boxer Rebellion

• 1912——————Official collapse of the Qing Empire and establishment of the Republic of China

• 1997——————Hong Kong returns as territory of the People’s Republic of China

A Political Cartoon depicting the Open Door Policy

http://blogs.bu.edu/guidedhistory/moderneurope/tao-he/

The Effects of Colonization in Hong Kong

Current issues between China and HK

Echo Chen