Britain gives 3m Hong Kongers the right to live and work
The offer will annoy China
AT MIDNIGHT ON July 1st 1997 Hong Kong passed from British to Chinese hands, starting a new era under the “one country, two systems” policy. It allowed the territory to retain a high degree of autonomy from Beijing. The arrangement was meant to stay in place for 50 years.
On June 30th 2020, after less than half the agreed amount of time had passed, that era looked closer than ever to a premature end. China’s rubber-stamp parliament passed a sweeping new security law designed to chill dissent and stifle protests (see article).
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline "Getting off the fence"
Britain July 2nd 2020
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- Britain gives 3m Hong Kongers the right to live and work
- How speedily will the British economy recover?
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- Changing history teaching
- Why Games Workshop is worth more than Marks & Spencer and Centrica
- The government takes on the civil service
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