The last governor : Chris Patten and the handover of Hong Kong

1 July 1997 marked the end of British rule of Hong Kong, whereby this territory was passed into the hands of the People’s Republic of China. In 1992, Chris Patten, former chairman of the Conservative Party, was appointed Hong Kong's last governor, and was the man to oversee the handover ceremony of this former British colony. Within the last five years of British rule, acclaimed journalist Jonathan Dimbleby was given unique access to the governor which enabled him to document the twists and turns of such an extraordinary diplomatic, political and personal drama. As Governor, Patten encouraged the necessary expansion of Hong Kong's social welfare system, striving to reconcile the basic rights and freedom of over 6 million people with the unpredictable imperatives of Beijing. Drawing on the insights of a host of senior figures, the author places the crisis in both its human and historical contexts, and presents some startling arguments about the conduct of British foreign policy on Hong Kong before and during Patten's tenure. 1 July 1997 marked the end of British rule of Hong Kong, whereby this territory was passed into the hands of the People s Republic of China. In 1992, Chris Patten, former chairman of the Conservative Party, was appointed Hong Kong's last governor, and was the man to oversee the handover ceremony of this former British colony. Within the last five years of British rule, acclaimed journalist Jonathan Dimbleby was given unique access to the governor which enabled him to document the twists and turns of such an extraordinary diplomatic, political and personal drama. As Governor, Patten encouraged the necessary expansion of Hong Kong's social welfare system, striving to reconcile the basic rights and freedom of over 6 million people with the unpredictable imperatives of Beijing. Drawing on the insights of a host of senior figures, the author places the crisis in both its human and historical contexts, and presents some startling arguments about the conduct of British foreign policy on Hong Kong before and during Patten's tenure Using unrivalled access to Chris Patten, Britain's last governor of Hong Kong, Jonathan Dimbleby provides a compelling narrative of a great political and human drama: the final chapter in Britain's colonial history, the five years leading up to the handover of Hong Kong and its five million people to Communist China on July 1, 1997.Since 1992 Dimbleby had privileged access to Patten, and to key diplomats, politicians, and business leaders in Hong Kong, as he developed both this book and a five-part BBC TV series, which was shown on TVOntario.He sets the crisis - with its many consequences for Canada and the rest of the world - against 150 years of Anglo-Chinese relationships since the Opium Wars and the seizure of Hong Kong. He also provides a panoramic portrait of colonial rule and of the shining capitalist "jewel" itself, using the voices of its people - from the richest entrepreneur to the poorest refugee. The last governor of Hong Kong and his reception is addressed through close documentation of his policies and Beijing imperatives.