1997 Return of Hong Kong to China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

1997 Return of Hong Kong to China - Essay Example Thus, the then free wheeled capitalist territory was put under the control of the communists. A huge caesura in Great Britain concerning Hong Kong emerged in 1945 when the British said that it was not automatic that Hong Kong was going to revert to the status it enjoyed before their colonization by the British. The United States had equally preferred that Britain remains in Hong Kong for an extended period of time. In 1950s, Hong Kong growth was attributed to textile exports and growth in the manufacturing industries (Gragan, nd). At some point, Hong Kong acted as the hub of foreign investment in China. Several leaders from Britain helped the growth of Hong Kong during the British reign. One of them was Queen Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth spearheaded the growth of health institutions in Hong Kong. Through the initiatives of the queen, Prince Margaret and Wales hospitals were constructed. The two health institutions improved the quality of health services that were being enjoyed by the i nhabitants of Hong Kong (Chan, 2014). The transfer of Hong Kong to china is an event that had been waited for by the Chinese for a long time based on earlier agreements with Britain in 1984. The agreement was that China was going to bring an end to the opium trade in Hong Kong. However, the British were reluctant about letting go Hong Kong because they were uncertain whether China would be able to gain control of the region for the next 50 years from 1997 (Lowe, 2014). The transfer of Hong Kong to Chinese people was supported by ordinary of people in the region. Hong Kong was voiceless on its own. In 1996, China through its preparatory committee of 150 people ensured that the Hong Kong government began on a strong note. The inhabitants of Hong Kong celebrated within the streets. The celebration was not because the British were going or that the Beijing masters were coming. Gargan (n.d)