Hong Kong–UK Reunification Campaign

For the restoration of British Hong Kong after WWII, see Liberation of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong–UK Reunification Campaign (Yue Chinese: 香港歸英運動) is a campaign for Hong Kong to end its status as a special administrative region under the People's Republic of China, then rejoin the UK and become part of the British Overseas Territories.[1] Supporters argue that Chinese interference in Hong Kong's affairs has violated the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and therefore the UK has the right to nullify the declaration and restore British Hong Kong.[2] Supporters generally reference other British territories, such as Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, and Bermuda as models for Hong Kong, and believe that this arrangement would allow the city to exercise autonomy through a democratic government and elected parliament. This will also allow the local population an opportunity to decide the city's future, such as becoming a member of the British Commonwealth.[2]

Background

See also: Hong Kong Question and Sino-British Joint Declaration

During the decolonization of the British Empire, most former colonies achieved independence. However, the situation for Hong Kong is somewhat different because the New Territories was legally a 99-year lease to the British as part of the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory signed in 1898. On 2 November 1972, the United Nations General Assembly voted to remove Hong Kong from the list of colonies that is in the UN Resolution 1514. During negotiations for the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the British delegation knew that the Chinese delegation opposed Hong Kong independence, and also knew that it was impractical to govern Hong Kong after the lease expired, as New Territories constituted 92% of the city's territory. As a result, both sides understood that any agreement on the Hong Kong Question would address the city as a whole.[3][4]

History

On 20 March 2014, Chris Patten, former governor of Hong Kong, visited Hong Kong for an event with Oxford University at the Hong Kong Maritime Museum. During the event, there were ??? who were holding British Hong Kong flag and singing God Save the Queen, and they presented their vision for Hong Kong to reunify with the UK. Patten shook hands with several participants without responding directly, and later expressed "respect for the diverse opinions in Hong Kong".[5][6]

On 19 June and 1 July 2016, members of the Hong Kong–UK Reunification Campaign petitioned outside the British consulate in Hong Kong, demanding the UK nullify the Sino-British Joint Declaration and returning Hong Kong to British rule.[7]

In July 2016, campaign leader Alice Lai registered for the 2016 Hong Kong legislative election under the Conservative Party, expressing her platform for returning Hong Kong to British rule, but was barred from running in the disqualification controversy. Afterwards, Lai wrote a petition to the British consulate in Hong Kong and the British foreign ministry for the British government to consider nullifying the Sino-British Joint Declaration and allowing Hong Kong to again join the UK.[8]

Opinion polling

In 2013, South China Morning Post conducted an online opinion poll to gauge support for Hong Kong becoming part of the British Overseas Territories. The results showed 93% of respondents supportive and 7% opposing this idea.[9]

See also

  • 凱莉塔圖; 無言; 毛來由; 紫維; 寗思. 論歸英──回到英治香港 [Discussing UK Reunification — Returning to British Hong Kong] (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). ISBN 9789881250391. Archived from the original on 14 April 2017. Retrieved 2017-03-25.

References

  1. ^ "Hong Kong Handover: Nostalgia for the British". The News Lens. 27 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b "親英團體請願促回歸英國" [Pro-UK Organization Petitions for a Return to British Rule] (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Oriental Daily News. Archived from the original on 25 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Prime Minister's Visit to Peking" (PDF). 24 September 1982. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2018.
  4. ^ "Most Confidential Record" (PDF). 10 March 1983. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2018.
  5. ^ "末代港督訪港 港獨集體高潮" [Last Governor of Hong Kong visits the city, met with fervor from Hong Kong independence advocates] (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Macau Asia Satellite Television. Archived from the original on 22 July 2015.
  6. ^ "彭定康撐新聞自由" [Chris Patten voices support for press freedom]. Apple Daily. 21 March 2014. Archived from the original on 18 July 2016.
  7. ^ "書店風波中方違聯合聲明　8人請願冀港歸英" [Claiming that China violated the Joint Declaration in the bookstore controversy, 8 people petitioned for Hong Kong to return to British rule]. Oriental Daily News. 19 June 2016. Archived from the original on 11 January 2017.
  8. ^ "【彭定康演講】「香港歸英運動」賴綺雯　場內舉英國旗雨傘" [Hong Kong-UK Reunification Campaign activist Alice Lai raises British umbrella during Christ Patten's speech] (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Stand News. 26 November 2016. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020.
  9. ^ "願香港回歸英國？" [Wishing Hong Kong to reunify with the UK?] (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Apple Daily. 15 March 2013. Archived from the original on 23 July 2015.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.