Hong Kong and Shenzhen Married?

Published on April 1, 2009 by brooks | This story has been viewed 4,692 views

Hong Kong’s current hot political potato is talk of integrating Hong Kong and Shenzhen into one mega metropolis, in an effort to rival the likes of Los Angleles and London. Hong Kong, concerned that it will turn into ‘just another Chinese city, is looking for ways to keep its prestige and place on the international stage. At the 10th Hong Kong Handover Anniversary in June 2007, concerns about the city losing international stature, topped polls on Hong Kong’s progress.

Shenzhen, just across the Hong Kong/China border, has long been one of China’s economic success stories and the two cities have already become significatly integrated, from trade to people living in Shenzhen and working in Hong Kong. However, the idea to create one large mega city is a new one and has been received lukewarmly in Hong Kong. Fears about the effect it would have on Hong Kong’s ‘one country, two systems’ policy as welll as concerns about the effect a merger could have on crime levels in Hong Kong, seem to make this a long engagment.

A Guide to the Hong Kong Handover

Events Surrounding the Hong Kong Handover

For over one hundred years Hong Kong was a colony of the British Crown, and before the Hong Kong handover in 1997, Britain’s last glimmer of Empire. Britain had won the island and leased the New Territories in 1839 and 1898, after defeating China during the first Opium War. In 1997 the hundred year lease on Kowloon and the New Territories was up, and Britain negotiated the Hong Kong handover.

  • Hong Kong’s Basic Law

In negotiating the Hong Kong handover, the British had no real option of not returning the island. China was eager to take back what it saw as an embarrassment in its history, and was backed by international support. Perversely, while Hong Kongers felt an allegiance to China, there was no real appetite to return the world’s most capitalist city to a communist country. Concerns about civil liberties and the rights of Hong Kongers after the handover were rife, particularly after the Tiananmen Square Massacre. To try and assuage the local populations fear, the British negotiated with the Chinese the Basic Law, the premise of which was to assure ‘Hong Kong’s Capitalist Way of Life’ for at least fifty years with a number of laws and measures.

  • Is Hong Kong a Democracy?

    Hong Kong was for most of its life a colony, ruled by a Governor, dispatched by the British Houses of Parliament. As the handover to China approached, the local population demanded more control over their own affairs. In response, the British introduced a semi-parliament and the post of Chief Executive. But Hong Kong’s style of government is an uncomfortable form of democracy, where some people can vote, but have no control over who wins.

  • Hong Kong Handover – Changes in Hong Kong

One of the most popular questions about the Hong Kong Handover is what has exactly changed in Hong Kong, since the Chinese took sovereignty. From the Queens picture being taken down, to a change in color on the post boxes, Hong Kong did have a British spring clean after the handover.

  • British Colonial Buildings

Britain effectively built the city of Hong Kong from scratch. From a rocky outpost to a gleaming icon of capitalism, the British, on arrival erected some of the British Empires most elegant buildings. While many have fallen to progress, the city still boasts some beautiful reminders of its British past. You can see the best on this half-day tour.

  • Hong Kong Handover 10th Anniversary Events – July 1st 2007

The 10th Anniversary of the Hong Kong handover sees the city go into party mode, with over 500 events planned for the city. We’ve hand selected some of the best

The Basics of Hong Kong’s Basic Law

Britain’s primary concern in its negotiations for the return of Hong Kong to China, was that Hong Kong be allowed to continue in its current capitalist form and not have communism foisted on to the city.

As part of the Sino-British agreement on the return of Hong Kong, both governments agreed on the Basic Law, a mini-constitution that would govern Hong Kong for the next fifty years. China calls this way of governing one country, two systems.

Basic Law – Some of the primary tenets of the Basic Law

  • The socialist system and policies shall not be practised in the HKSAR, and the previous capitalist system and way of life shall remain unchanged for 50 years
  • The selection of Chief Executive is to be ultimately by means of Universal Suffrage
  • The freedom of the person of Hong Kong residents shall be inviolable. No Hong Kong resident shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful arrest, detention or imprisonment. Arbitrary or unlawful search of the body of any resident or deprivation or restriction of the freedom of the person shall be prohibited. Torture of any resident or arbitrary or unlawful deprivation of the life of any resident shall be prohibited.
  • Hong Kong residents shall have, among other things, freedom of speech, freedom of the press and of publication; freedom of association, freedom of assembly, freedom of procession, of demonstration, of communication, of movement, of conscience, of religious belief, and of marriage; and the right and freedom to form and join trade unions, and to strike.
  • The laws previously in force in Hong Kong, that is, the common law, rules of equity, ordinances, subordinate legislation and customary law (such as Chinese clan law) shall be maintained, except for any that contravene the Basic Law and subject to any amendment by the legislature of the HKSAR.
  • The HKSAR has a high degree of autonomy and enjoys executive, legislative and independent judicial power, including that of final adjudication.

In Dispute:

  • Universal suffrage is currently a hot political potato. Universal suffrage is no closer than in 1997, resulting in over 1 million Hong Kong residents, 1/7th of the population, annually marching to demand it.
  • The status of Hong Kong’s judiciary has been in called into question. Hong Kong residents arrested on the mainland are supposed to be returned to the SAR, however this has not always been the case.
  • Beijing attempted to introduce an anti-subversion law in 2006 that would have limited freedom of speech. This was rejected, after the Hong Kong people took to the streets.
  • Also of concern is the fact that the final interpretation of the Basic Law is the responsibility of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress, or the Chinese Communist Party.

The past ten years have seen Beijing reluctant to involve itself in Hong Kong affairs. Beijing sees Hong Kong as an example of how it would run Taiwan under one country, two systems. Beijing is therefore wary of behaving in a manner that would alarm Taiwan, similarly it does not want to adversely affect the Hong Kong economy. Nevertheless, the Taiwanese remain unconvinced. Several Hong Kong commentators have sarcastically remarked, that all that stands between Hong Kong and Communism is the American Navy, referring to the defense of Taiwan.

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