China, Hong Kong and the West

This book analyses Hong Kong’s history from a long-run perspective. It examines Britain’s relationship with the city in the context of Hong Kong’s location within the Pearl River Delta and its strategic position within East Asia.

Britain’s interaction with Hong Kong commenced in the 1830s. Britain was at the zenith of its economic, political, cultural and military power, while China was approaching the lowest point in its history. The violence and humiliation of the Opium Wars propelled China into a century of economic, political and psycho-social crisis. Two centuries later the position of China and Britain has turned upside down. Hong Kong has returned to China and is part of the hugely dynamic Greater Bay Area. Britain, the First Industrial Nation, has entered an era of deep economic, political and cultural crisis. It is at the forefront of the psycho-social crisis across the west, which was exposed dramatically by the landslide victory of Donald Trump in the US election.

Placing the history of Hong Kong in a long-run perspective, the book will be of interest to academics and students within the fields of international relations, development studies, China and East Asian studies, as well as business practitioners and policy makers.