Book on the History of Hong Kong

What history does Hong Kong have?

China Cedes Hong Kong Island in the First Opium War



At the end of the First Opium War, the 1844 Treaty of Nanking confirmed the cession. Hong Kong first came under Chinese rule during the Qin Dynasty in the third century B.C., and it remained a part of the Chinese Empire for about 2,000 years.

What was Hong Kong called before 1841?

British Hong Kong

Preceded by Succeeded by
1841: Xin’an County 1945: Japanese Hong Kong 1941: Japanese Hong Kong 1997: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region


How long is the recorded history of Hong Kong?

Archaeological findings suggesting human activity in Hong Kong date back over 30,000 years. Stone tools from the Old Stone Age have been excavated in Sai Kung in Wong Tei Tung.

Why did Hong Kong separate from China?

When Did Hong Kong Separate From China? Hong Kong was ceded by China after its loss to Great Britain during the Opium Wars, which lasted from 1839 to 1860. In 1997, Britain returned Hong Kong to China as a Special Administrative Region.

Does China own Hong Kong?

The whole territory was transferred to China in 1997. As one of China’s two special administrative regions (the other being Macau), Hong Kong maintains separate governing and economic systems from that of mainland China under the principle of “one country, two systems”.

Why did the British take Hong Kong?

In 1839, Britain invaded China to crush opposition to its interference in the country’s economic and political affairs. One of Britain’s first acts of the war was to occupy Hong Kong, a sparsely inhabited island off the coast of southeast China.

Who colonized China first?

INTRODUCTION: Colonialism first stepped into China after the victory of the British Navy in the first opium war (1839-42). This war is marked in history as the first in which steam-driven ships were used as the main force (Spence, J. D.

When did the UK give Hong Kong back to China?

July 1, 1997

At midnight on July 1, 1997, Hong Kong reverts back to Chinese rule in a ceremony attended by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Prince Charles of Wales, Chinese President Jiang Zemin and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

When did China take over Hong Kong?

The Hong Kong handover, domestically known as the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong, was the formal passing of authority over the territory of the then colony of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China at midnight on 1 July 1997.

Has China ever ruled any other country?

China is sometimes called a partially dominated nation, especially in relation to certain Chinese territories under the control of foreign powers. However, no country has ever controlled the entire territory.

How was Hong Kong treated under Britain?

British rule in Hong Kong was not a utopia to be glorified and looked back upon. The city was rich, but harsh, in an ironic twist being far more heavy-handed and brutal than its current existence, thus overwhelmingly distant from what young people today, having never lived through it, envision it to be.

Is Hong Kong a country Yes or no?

Post-handover, the colony of Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and, for official purposes, is a part of China. But, for all intents and purposes, it is allowed to operate as an independent country.

Why did British not colonize China?

British Empire could not colonize China because of following reasons. China was too big, and populous. British Empire did not have enough power and troops to conquer a nation of 300–400 million people.

Was Japan Colonised China?

After defeating of China and Russia, Japan began conquering and colonizing East Asia to expand its power. The Japanese victory over China in 1895 led to the annexation of Formosa (present-day Taiwan) and Liaotang province in China. Both Japan and Russia claimed Liatong.

What country has never been colonized?

Depending on how you define it, the only countries that were never colonies are Liberia, Ethiopia, Japan, Thailand, Bhutan, Iran, Nepal, Tonga, China, and possibly North Korea, South Korea and Mongolia. Some historians nitpick over this list.

Was Japan ever Colonised?

Japan was not formally colonized by Western powers, but was a colonizer itself. It has, however, experienced formal semicolonial situations, and modern Japan was profoundly influenced by Western colonialism in wide-ranging ways.

Which country is not ruled by anyone?

Countries that are often considered “never colonized” but arguably were indeed colonized:

Country Argument against
Afghanistan Never colonized, but occupied and controlled by U.S. 2001-2021.
Bhutan Ceded territory to Britain in 1865, became British protectorate in 1866 and British-controlled “princely state” in 1910.

Why was Japan not colonized?

Japan had traditionally sought to avoid foreign intrusion. For many years, only the Dutch and the Chinese were allowed trading depots, each having access to only one port. No other foreigners were permitted to land in Japan, though Russia, France, and England tried, but with little success.

Why was Thailand not colonized?

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, only Thailand survived European colonial threat in Southeast Asia due to centralising reforms enacted by King Chulalongkorn and because the French and the British decided it would be a neutral territory to avoid conflicts between their colonies.

Has Korea been colonized?

Korea. This nation was a tributary state under Qing Chinese protection until 1895, when Japan seized it in the aftermath of the First Sino-Japanese War. Japan formally colonized Korea in 1910, foreclosing that option for the European powers.

Was Thailand colonized?

Thailand was never colonized by Europeans.



Thailand remains the only country in Southeast Asia not colonized by Europeans. All of its neighbors were controlled by either the British or the French. Burma and Malaysia being British colonies, and Laos and Cambodia being French ones.

Why did Siam change name to Thailand?

In 1939, the Thai military government under Field Marshal Phibun Songkram changed the country’s name from Siam to Thailand, justifying that it was suitable to call the nation by a name that represented the country’s majority and was popular with the people. Siam had been the name of the kingdom for almost 800 years.

Was Singapore colonized?

The Colony of Singapore was a British Crown colony for a total of 140 years, interrupted by Japanese invasion during World War II. The Empire of Japan surrendered to the Allies at the end of World War II and Singapore was returned to British rule in 1945.

Did Thailand fight in ww2?

Thailand in World War II officially adopted a position of neutrality until the five hour-long Japanese invasion of Thailand on 8 December 1941, which led to an armistice and military alliance treaty between Thailand and the Japanese Empire in mid-December 1941.

Why didnt Japan invade Thailand?

As part of conquering Southeast Asia, the Japanese military planned to invade Malaya and Burma. In order to do this, they needed to make use of Thai ports, railways, and airfields. They did not want conflict with the Thai military, as this would delay the invasion and significantly reduce the element of surprise.

Did the Japanese invade India?

The Battle of Imphal took place in the region around the city of Imphal, the capital of the state of Manipur in Northeast India from March until July 1944. Japanese armies attempted to destroy the Allied forces at Imphal and invade India, but were driven back into Burma with heavy losses.

What if Japan won WW2?

The US would not have had the same advantage. And would have likely suffered a catastrophic defeat. At Midway the Japanese Empire held territory from China to Wake Island to the Philippines.

Can Japan defeat US?

Bottom line, no likely masterstroke — no single stratagem or killing blow — would have defeated the United States. Rather, Japanese commanders should have thought and acted less tactically and more strategically. In so doing they would have improved Japan’s chances. Which brings us to Five Ways Japan Could Have Won.

Did Japan think they could beat the US?

And although the Japanese government never believed it could defeat the United States, it did intend to negotiate an end to the war on favorable terms. It hoped that by attacking the fleet at Pearl Harbor it could delay American intervention, gaining time to solidify its Asian empire.

What would happen if Japan didn’t bomb Pearl Harbor?

But had the Japanese not attacked Pearl Harbor, the Pacific War would largely have evolved along similar lines. The US and Japan had been on a collision course for months if not years. With or without the attack on Pearl Harbor, the two countries were heading for war.

Did Churchill know about Pearl Harbor?

So how did Churchill know of the Japanese plan? According to Rusbridger Churchill knew that Japan would attack Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 because British and American cryptanalysts had been reading the Japanese naval general purpose code, designated by the Americans as JN-25.

Could the Japanese have won ww2?

It could have happened. Key point: Japan could never have crushed U.S. maritime forces in the Pacific and imposed terms on Washington.