The Final Years of British Hong Kong : The Discourse of Colonial Withdrawal

This book critically reviews the British experience in Hong Kong with special emphasis on the tenure of the last governor, Chris Patten, and the discourse he used in guiding the transfer of sovereignty to China. While the People's Republic of China proclaimed the recovery of Hong Kong to be just retribution for a century and a half of national shame under British rule, Patten, as the spokesperson for the British, was concerned that Britain's exit from its last significant colony should be an honourable one. Front Matter....Pages i-xxi Front Matter....Pages 1-1 The Imperialist Background....Pages 3-15 From Early Development to the Beginnings of Retrocession....Pages 16-31 The Negotiations and the Joint Declaration....Pages 32-52 Representative Government and the Basic Law....Pages 53-65 Tiananmen and After....Pages 66-81 Front Matter....Pages 83-83 Enter Christopher Patten....Pages 85-105 Patten’s Political Reform Programme....Pages 106-128 The Through Train Derailed....Pages 129-149 A Lame Duck Government?....Pages 150-170 The Die is Cast....Pages 171-190 Ideology and Values....Pages 191-213 Conclusion....Pages 214-221 Back Matter....Pages 222-258