China gets embargoed while Hong Kong hits the jackpot
The end of World War II brought about the question of Britain's right to continue governing Hong Kong. Several years earlier, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt argued that the British government should give up Hong Kong to the Chinese Nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek. But the British government had no plans, whatsoever, to hand over the colony and, as soon as the war was over it moved quickly to regain control of Hong Kong.
Hong Kong's post-war recovery was astonishing. The population returned to its pre-war levels in next to no time, business boomed and eight months after the Japanese surrender, the territory's civilian administration was restored.
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Hong Kong's post-war recovery was astonishing. The population returned to its pre-war levels in next to no time, business boomed and eight months after the Japanese surrender, the territory's civilian administration was restored
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Colonial taboos also broke down in the post-war years and the Chinese community, who was not restricted anymore, started to take a more active part in Hong Kong's business and administration.
The post-war period brought great prosperity to Hong Kong. The Nationalist-Communist civil war in China ended in 1949 with the victory of the latter and China became a socialist republic. An Influx of Chinese immigrants arrived at the colony, many of whom were businessman and skilled professionals who fled communism. At the same time, many foreign firms relocated their offices from Shanghai to Hong Kong. The colony's economy boomed thanks to its role as a trade bridge between Communist China and the rest of the world.
The ban which the UN imposed on China in the 1950's, following the Korea war, brought a certain slow down to Hong Kong's economy but, it was as a result of the same ban that the Colony built its own successful industry (mainly textile) and started to market its products all over the world.
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The Communist takeover of China in 1949, and the ban which the UN imposed on China in the 1950's, pushed Hong Kong to develop its own successful industry, and made the city a desired destination for many Chinese businessman and skilled professionals who fled communism
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At the beginning of the 1960s, Communist ideology started to encroach into Hong Kong and many of the colony's youngsters, just like youngsters in other parts of the world, were fascinated by the values of equality and sharing... However, in 1967 some of those Communist movements turned violent and incited civil disorder and riots. Bombs were planted in various locations around the city and tension soared to its highest point when a popular radio commentator, Lam Bun, was murdered after he criticized the leftist agitators on his radio programmes.
The British authorities decided to put an end to the turmoil and managed to crush the Communist net in Hong Kong, but an attitude of mistrust and suspicious towards pro-communists has been retained by many people in Hong Kong.
In 1974, Murray McLehose founded ICAC, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, in order to combat corruption within the police force.
The extent of corruption was so widespread that a mass police petition took place resisting prosecutions. Despite early opposition to the ICAC by the police force, Hong Kong was quite successful in its anti-corruption efforts, eventually becoming one of the world's least corrupt societies.
The colonial authorities continued to develop the colony vigorously, encouraging foreign investments and making Hong Kong one of the world's most investor-friendly destinations.
China's economy started to gather pace in the 1970s as the UN embargo was lifted. The Chinese government established the city of Shenzhen, next to the border with Hong Kong, as a capitalist experiment that was meant to check the impact of free economy on China's society and culture.
The renewal of trade with China boosted Hong Kong's economy and the city became a regional hub for multinational companies. The banking and tourism industries also started to play a significant role in the city's economy.
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Handover to China and present days
