The Chinese and Hong Kong governments have been taking big steps towards improving the lot of the city’s residents in recent years. From a reclaimed harbor that is now the most densely populated region of China, to a tertiary education system that is ranked among the best in the world, Hong Kong is no longer just a business destination. In fact, it has become a social hub, with more people living in Hong Kong than in any other city in the world. And, with the opening of the hongkong and Macau equator railway linking the two former colonial strongholds to Beijing, a new chapter in the city’s history is on the horizon.
At the very least, the city is a thriving hub for importing and exporting goods and services from all over the world. With an economy that is more than ten times the size of Britain’s, Hong Kong is a great place to do business. But, with the looming threat of a possible trade war, the future of the city looks bleak.
A few days ago, Chinese President Jiang Zemin announced that the ‘one country, two systems’ concept that had been in existence since Hong Kong’s return to China in 1997 would be abolished. Not surprisingly, the announcement launched a brazen assault on the international rules-based order. As it stands, Hong Kong remains in the hands of a regime that has eroded its freedoms and democratic zeal.
Although the government has taken massive steps in recent years to improve the lot of the city’s inhabitants, it has not been the most enlightened. Indeed, a few years back, a British spokesman claimed that Hong Kong’s citizens had been treated as second class citizens for most of its history. So, it is time for the international community to do something about it.
One small step in the right direction is to remind China that Hong Kong is not an island and that it owes its survival to the United Kingdom. For this reason alone, the UK should do everything in its power to ensure that the ‘one country, two systems’ model is not simply rolled over the top. If China is truly interested in Hong Kong’s long-term future, then the British must take a more active role.