This week in class we focus in on Hong Kong, a very small part of China in terms of land, and a very big part of the story of China’s relationship with “the West.”

Hong Kong is a group of 200 relatively small islands of the southeast coast of China that has the distinction of being one of just two "special administrative regions" of China. (The other is Macau.) Hong Kong has been "special" for ovier two thousand years, when successive imperial Chinese dynasties began to use it as a trading center. Europeans caught on about five hundred years ago, and in the early 16th century the Portuguese tried, and failed, to take it. Two hundred years later the British had more success, but only after winning a war with China over opium. The British brought Hong Kong Island into the British Empire, resulting in the legalization of the opium trade in China, but severely weakened the Qing Dynasty. By the end of the century the British had even negotiated to lease territories surrounding Hong Kong Island from China for 99 years.  

Under British rule Hong Kong became a densely developed economic powerhouse. As the end of the lease approached, after many years of intense negotiation, the British conceded to the peaceful return all of Hong Kong to China, and on July 1, 1997, that's what happened. Since the transfer of sovereignty Hong Kong has operated under the motto, "one country, two systems." This means China's central government asserts full control over Hong Kong, but at the same time, at least according to the agreement, allows Hong Kong to maintain a capitalist economy and separate political system...at least until 2047, when that part of the agreement expires.