"'Freedom, Democracy and the Rule of Law' : The Debate in Great Britain around the Return of Hong Kong to China, 1992-1997"

Lori Maguire (1)

1 TransCrit - Transferts critiques anglophones

Hong Kong, the U.K.'s last major colony, did not become independent but was returned to China-a significant difference, especially since China's record on human rights was notoriously poor. The population of Hong Kong was afraid of their future, especially after Tiananmen. Much of British discourse, then focussed on how to ensure, as much as possible, the survival of British values there and on trying to reassure the population. To leave with honour, in other words. Little difference existed between the parties either on this need or on the way to do this, although the last governor's attempts to put this policy into effect hurt relations with Beijing. But most politicians seem to have felt this was an acceptable price to pay, although, once Hong Kong was returned, Blair's government immediately moved to improve relations.

Mots clés: international relations; British foreign policy; decolonisation

Domaines: Histoire

Lori Maguire. "'Freedom, Democracy and the Rule of Law' : The Debate in Great Britain around the Return of Hong Kong to China, 1992-1997". Lori Maguire. Foreign Policy Discourse in the United Kingdom and the United States in the "New World Order", Cambridge Scholars, pp.138-161, 2009. ⟨hal-00606541⟩