RENEGADE TERRITORIESRENEGADE TERRITORIESHong Kong, Taiwan, & Hong Kong, Taiwan, &

TibetTibet

CURRENT ISSUES FACING CHINA

FEBRUARY 19, 1997

FORMER BRITISH COLONY

1. When and why did the British receive Hong Kong?

2. In what ways might Hong Kong have been different in its development than mainland China?

3. Hong Kong was returned in 1997. Challenges?

After the British returned Hong Kong to China in 1997, China and Hong Kong operate under “One Country, Two Systems.”

More specifically, this means that within the People's Republic of China, the mainland will maintain the socialist system, while Hong Kong and Taiwan continue under the capitalist system.

Image above: Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang and Chinese President Hu Jintao

http://www.basiclaw.gov.hk/en/basiclawtext/index.html

http://www.basiclaw.gov.hk/en/index/

Hong Kong’s Economy Hong Kong’s Economy

GDP per Capita (2010)◦$45,600 – 11th in the

world.

Imports◦46.4% - China◦8.8% - Japan◦6.5% - Taiwan◦6.5% - Singapore◦5.3% - US

Exports◦51.2% - China◦11.65 – US◦4.4% - Japan

Central Hong Kong

Seoul, South Korea

Singapore

Taipei, Taiwan

FOUR ASIAN TIGERS

HONG KONG

REPUBLIC OF CHINA (R.O.C.)REPUBLIC OF CHINA (R.O.C.)

REGARDED BY CHINA AS A

“REBEL REGION”

1. China will use military action against

Taiwan should Taiwan declare independence

3. U.S. Aid and Military support

in 2010

2. Beijing has hundreds of missiles pointed

at the island and has threatened

to use force should Taiwan move towardformal independence.

4. China offered a “one country-two systems” solution like Hong Kong.

4. No seat in the U.N., lost it to China in 1971

Central Hong Kong

Seoul, South Korea

Singapore

Taipei, Taiwan

FOUR ASIAN TIGERS

Democracy in TaiwanNational Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall

Nationalist Kuomintang PartyChiang Kai-Shek

China and TibetChina and TibetIndependent since 1950, Tibet was a target of the Mao’s Cultural Revolution and has been working for religious and political freedom from China since.

Differing Views of Dalai LamaDiffering Views of Dalai Lama

Tibetans Chinese Government

Living God Threat towards separation from China

1950 1959 1960’s – 1970’s

1980’s 2008

China sent in

thousands of troops to

enforce claim on

Tibet

Tibet tried to fight back

against China but it led to the

Dalai Lama leaving for

India

Set up a government

in exile

Cultural Revolution enforced by

Mao Zedong.

Tibetan monasteries destroyed along with

cultural artifacts

China begins to ease its grip due to

international pressure

Anti-China protestors

and authorities

in Tibet voice their frustrations about the Olympic Games in Beijing

Falun Falun GongGong

Mock Demonstrations of Human Rights Abuse against Falun Gong