Why did Britain Handover Hong Kong to China? (Short Animated Documentary)

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Why did Britain give Hong Kong back to China? TL:DW - It's because they didn't have a choice. What were they going to do? Fight?

Sources:

A Reward for Good Behaviour in the Cold War: Bargaining over the Defence of Hong Kong, 1949-1957 by Chi-Kwan Mark

Lack of Means or Loss of Will? The United Kingdom and the Decolonization of Hong Kong, 1957-1967 by Chi-Kwan Mark

Hong Kong: The Critical Phase, 1945-1949 by W. Roger Louis

[MTGeomancer]

Can't believe it's been over 50 years since 1997.

[CJ-dwdr]

Not many people know that Hong Kong originally was to be given to James Bissonette, but he politely declined.

[VenomSnakee]

It seems that 50 years actually means 22

[adamesd]

The name calling part is real, at least from the Chinese side. I was living in HK in the 1980s during those negotiations. As you can imagine, this was news item #1 on TV at the time.

At one point in one of their meetings, Thatcher asked Deng “How do we know you will keep your word?” Insulted, he answered to the interpreter “Tell that fat cow that when the Chinese give their word they keep it.” The British governor of HK, who could speak Chinese, was sitting there and damned near had a stroke. Thatcher looked at him in surprise because the interpreter had left out the “fat cow” part. She could tell something had obviously happened but she didn’t know what. They played that part a hundred times on the news.

[sunburstshredder]

1997, and the British Empire...is dead. *thud*

[saeta]

To be honest, the British Empire was dead a long time ago even before this.. Most historians concur the Suez Crisis back in 1956 was the real incident, at least symbolically, that marked the end of the British Empire; in the aftermath of the Suez crisis was when the British finally had to recognized they were no longer a super power. And, even more, that their political influence was being surpassed by the United States and the Soviet Union

[sviatoslavs.]

"Let's leave British Empire", they said...
"It will be fun", they said...

[anderskorsback]

There is also the fact that even though part of the territory had been ceded in perpetuity and the other "only" leased for 99 years, that distinction didn't exist on the ground. The British government had developed Hong Kong without regard for it, and the perpetual part would have been unviable on its own. The British government had treated 99 years as effectively meaning forever, because, hey, if we want it we can still keep it, what could China possibly do? In 1898, the notion that China could one day actually challenge Britain militarily over Hong Kong seemed very remote.

[sparrow]

1997 Hong kong: Go out you british imperialists!

2019:Hong kong: UNO REVERSE CARD

-I usually do not edit comments.
But if you want to go into the replies, please wear a hazmat suit.

[damudkip]

*Official Petition to bring back 10-Minute History*

Also, great video, as always.

[Cylus]

Weird....from 2:30 to 2:35 the audio cut out and my screen went black...

[jsp]

I was living in Hong Kong when it was announced that the UK would hand the entirety of HK back in 1997. Many people thought Thatcher had betrayed HK but the truth is that Kowloon and the Island could not survive without the New Territories, they were so intergrated. Boundary Street, the border between Kowloon and the NT was not much of a boundary, the line the road followed ran through the old Kai Tak airport. As China was adamant that they have the NT returned there was no point for the UK to keep the rest.

[UwU-xkcx]

China: we are going to take Hong kong, either you give it to us or we will take it ourselves
Uk:well...I guess theres nothing we can do.... also historically that region belonged to china so I guess theres no problem
Argentina: ohh so its that easy? I guess we will take the falklands the...
Also Uk: *THE SUN NEVER FUCKING SETS ON THE BRITISH EMPIRE*

[mijachin]

You know your career as a world power is over when you " Have no choice " XD

[penelopemurfitt]

Spain: Interesting, now give back Gibraltar.

[maw]

Can’t believe I haven’t seen a single comment pointing out that the PRC emblem on the podium at 3:04 is replaced with the Black Mesa logo in red and gold

[aussieboy]

Hong Kongers 1997: British Imperialists go away!


Hong Kongers 2019: China go away! *Waves Union Jack*


Diplomacy: Am I a joke to you?

[JonatasAdoM]

"Nor could it defeat a power half a world away."
I'm looking at you civilization V.

[itaybron]

Honestly i think the best think that could've happened (but no way in hell would) was for Hong Kong to be it's own city state like Singapore.

[itzmespencer]

2:01
"There were many protests across the colony against continued British rule"

Now it's the other way round but we can't criticise