| Abstract | This article is a commentary on Hong Kong's return to Chinese rule, in terms of what the author calls the "three overlooked realities" and the "one great confusion". The first reality is that Britain obtained Hong Kong by force from China in the 19th century. The second is that when Britain was forced to address this colonial anachronism, it agreed to allow China to resume sovereignty on 1 July, 1997, and the third is that the Chinese leadership agreed to leave Hong Kong's existing economic, political and legal systems basically unchanged. The one great confusion is the series of cultural and political misunderstandings that have undermined much of what had been achieved by 1984 when the Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed. |
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