Hewitt

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Amy Hewitt
Malcolm Campbell
English 1103
March 25, 2015

One Country Two Systems, One Hong Kong Two Choices

Many people misunderstand Hong Kong. Some think it is just a city in China,
others its own separate country. The truth is much more interesting and complicated than
any one description can give. It even depends on whom you ask. Even CGP Grey,
popular educator on YouTube said its the most country-like country that isnt a
country. Is Hong Kong just a shining example of Modern Day Imperialism with China
forcing its own interests onto a weaker territory? Or is there a mutually beneficial bond
with both parties wanting something from the other and mutual respect?
Bai Ling, a famous Chinese actress states, China and Hong Kong are very
different places, but they're starting to merge. Still the culture is very different.
Completely different cultures nearly complete autonomy, yet Hong Kong is still a part of
China. This concept baffles people. The mechanics behind how and why are complicated,
the implications even more so. What is going on in this complicated area? And why do
the ties between Hong Kong and Mainland China matter?
With China a powerhouse of not only military but also one of the leading
economies in the world, what happens to China is of great importance to the rest of the

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world. It sets an example for others, or is a terrible warning of what not to do. Being tied
for the third largest country in the world, and having over 1.3 billion people making it the
most populated country in the world; China has a lot to worry about and many different
voices to hear, including Hong Kong.

History
Hong Kong and China used to be the same country. After England discovered the
nation, it decided that England needed a way to bring all of the wonderful things China
had to offer back to the small island nation. To do this it needed a sizable port. A
peninsula on the coast was the perfect option to allow trade between the two and thus
Hong Kong was established. However China with its farming economy and many crops
didnt need to trade with the European Nations.
The British were eager to find something that the Chinese would want in
large quantities. In the early 1800s, they found it the drug opium. Soon
millions of Chinese were addicted to opium, and the Chinese government
complained. When the British refused to stop the trade, war broke out.
Because British ships had more powerful guns, China lost the war. As a
result, in 1842, the British took possession of Hong Kong. CDAs World
History Wiki
China never forgot about Hong Kong. In the original agreement, England was
only allowed to control Hong Kong for a certain period of time. In the 1990s Hong Kong
returned to Chinese rule because Englands lease was over. However, after over a

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century of English rule they were nervous about handing over their territory to China.
And so both England and China adopted the Sino-British Joint Agreement. This allowed
Hong Kong to keep its autonomy but under Chinese control.
The Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland and The Government of the Peoples Republic of China on the
Question of Hong Kong describes the relationship between China and Hong Kong. This
agreement allowed Hong Kong to keep many things: police force, trade relations, private
property, freedom of rights, judicial system, democracy, capitalism, currency and border
control. For all these things what did China get out of the deal? Well China got its
territory back and it was allowed to pick the pool in which the people voted for. It had a
say in who ran the province. China also is in control of Hong Kongs foreign defense and
trade. The rest of the world agreed to call Hong Kong a part of China and England no
longer had any say. This agreement came with one catch however. China only agreed to
leave Hong Kong its autonomy for fifty years, until 2040. After that China may do
whatever it sees fit for Hong Kong.

Show Me the MONEY

Capitalism and Socialism are as different as cats and dogs. Capitalism favors
profit, allowing freedom for the companies to make however much product they want.
This allows companies to make however much product they want. This surplus allows
them to sell off the rest of the products as profit. Socialism however prefers supply and
demand. In a socialist market, companies are only allowed to make what they need for

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the people. This prevents wasteful use of resources and allows for a more even gap
between rich and poor. Capitalism allows freedom while socialism must have
government regulation to set how much the people demand and therefore how much the
companies can supply.
Even though these systems are total opposites they both thrive in China. While
Mainland China uses socialism, Hong Kong does not, and it is one of the most profitable
provinces in China. One Country Two Systems is the policy that allows for Capitalism
to thrive in Hong Kong while Mainland China has Socialism. This allows for the people
of Hong Kong to do business in whichever means they see fit. As a peninsula, Hong
Kong is a large port that does trade with most everywhere in the world. Hong Kong
exports 1 trillion HK$ worth of goods in just February of 2015 alone, thats about 134
billion USD. With an average of 3.5 trillion HK$ made in exports annually between 2012
and 2014, or 458 billion USD, according to Hong Kongs census website.

The Power of Politics

Hong Kong and China also have two different systems of governments. Hong
Kong has a form of a republic while China has a form of communism. Hong Kongs
government is divided into as described by Hong Kong: The Chief Executive, The
Executive Council, The Administration, The Legislative Council, District Councils, and
The Judiciary. The Chief Executive oversees everything and is voted in from a pool of
people picked by Mainland China. The Executive Council helps the Chief Executive in
his duties. Everyone else, however, is nominated and voted in by the people. The

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Legislative Council helps make laws, The Administration makes sure those laws are
carried out, and the Judiciary judges the accused. District Councils make the community
better with cultural programs.
According to BBC, Mainland China is lead by the Politburo, which influences:
the National Peoples Congress that elects and approves the State Council, the Courts and
Prosecutors, and the Military Affairs Commission. At the top of it all is the Communist
party. Similar to Hong Kong, China has three branches: judicial, legislative, and
executive. Higher-ups however appoint these positions. The people do not vote
government officials into office. A person appoints them because they share similar
views, but they only get appointed if the person backing them has enough influence. In
this way Chinas government is about whom one knows.
Though these structures are very similar the basis in which they work are
different. Because the people vote Hong Kong officials in, the people hold them
accountable. If they will not do the best for everyone then they will not be put into office.
In Mainland China however the people do not get to choose, this makes the officials loyal
to the people who helped them get into power which are the ones in the Politburo. This
allows for them to make legislation that is best for the people already in office, not the
people as a whole. It does however prevent officials doing what the people want and not
what they need. With everyone appointed by people already in office their views are
similar and they can make everything run smoother. With a democracy everyones voice
is heard, and that is lots of people so the democratic government butts heads with all the
opposing views.

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Future
In the year 2040 Hong Kong will fully become a part of China. This means that
their autonomy will not exist. China, at that time, will be able to tell them to do anything
it wants because Hong Kong will be a province and will have to obey. China will have
the power to take away their democracy and capitalism. This means that Honk Kong
business owners will have to follow strict guidelines on how much they can make and
sell. It also worries the international business owners, the ones who arent Honk Kongers,
who might have to give up their businesses entirely.
This is why the people living in Hong Kong are fearful because they want to keep
their democracy and often march in the street to protest against China removing their
democracy. Their Umbrella Movement is sparking motions all over the world with
similar rallies in cities like London, Paris, and New York. After an incident in late
September where police used teargas to disperse protesters in multiple places in Hong
Kong the sympathy has gained them some supporters but not enough, says authors Chris
Buckley and Alan Wong, journalists that have written many articles on Hong Kong.
These protestors arent even protesting for democracy in 2040 they want true democracy
now. Their Chief Executive isnt picked by them but from a few representatives picked
from a committee of people loyal to Beijing and not to Hong Kong. They want to be able
to pick who they want from anyone who wants to run not people who are loyal to Beijing
just like the committee that put them on the ballot. And if this is how they react to one
skewed ballot what will they do when they dont have democracy at all?

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What is going on now, in addition to any immediate public order issues, is a
battle for the hearts and minds of the Hong Kong public, said Michael C. Davis, a
professor of law at the University of Hong Kong, who has closely followed the debate
over election reform. Beijing may be indifferent to protest or at least not inclined to give
in. The Hong Kong government needs public support. (Qtd in Buckley)
In 2040 China will have the power to completely remove democracy in Hong
Kong. At that time what will the Hong Kongers do about the possibility of no
democracy? China has two options at that time: leave Hong Kong the way it is with
democracy and capitalism, or make it simply another province with socialism and heavy
government regulations.
The reasons China has for removing democracy is because then it would make all
of China coherent. With Hong Kong different it would make every law and decree have
an exception with more work and exceptions for the government. Also the island of
Taiwan wants to be free of China with democracy as well. If China allows Hong Kong to
be democratic what does that say about their refusal to allow freedom of government in
Taiwan? It will become a rallying cry to the people of Taiwan and the island may have a
full uprising. Then they might have uprisings in both Taiwan and Hong Kong. Not only
that but having a more coherent business practice and government regulations on travel,
property, and municipals will allow for not only visitors but also citizens to feel more like
a country and the Nationality that is already strong might get stronger. It will also be
easier to open up the borders of Hong Kong and allow easier access and trade with the
city even though they are a part of the same country.

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One reason that China may have to allow Hong Kong democracy even after 2040
is that Hong Kong is one of the most profitable provinces in China. China as one of the
leading economies in the world requires the great business Hong Kong brings to its ports,
otherwise it would be much harder for China to stay at the forefront of world economies.
Without Hong Kong, China will have a much harder time keeping pleasant business
partners in other countries. Giving Hong Kong autonomy will allow the people
strengthened trust and companionship between them and China. Hong Kong with
democracy, the thing they want, will allow the people to trust China more because they
were rewarded with their own form of government.
The outcome of Hong Kong does not just affect China. If Hong Kong is allowed
autonomy then it will pave the way for other places in the world like in Russia or those in
the Middle East and other countries with rebelling areas. If one country can allow for a
portion to be different yet mutually beneficial to both parties then it can happen in other
countries. The strong Nationality that Hong Kong feels for China is there. The people
want to be a part of China they just want democracy. If other countries could adopt the
One Country Two Systems policy then each area could decide for itself how it wanted
to be governed without having to break apart of the government. This will stop needless
war just because of a little difference in politics. It will also be beneficial to the country;
instead of weakening the government with rebellions it will strengthen the bonds that the
two share. Agreeing to Disagree, while still respecting the other party.

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Works Cited

Boland, R. What Country is Hong Kong in? About Travel. About Travel. Web. March
12, 2015.

Buckley, Chris and Alan Wong. Crackdown on Protests by Hong Kong Police Draws
More to the Streets. The New York Times 28 Sept. 2014. The New York Times. 2
Apr. 2015.

Buckley, Chris, and Alan Wong. "Protesters Once Again Fill Streets in Hong Kong."
New York Times 1 Feb. 2015. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.

"CDA's World History Wiki." China Resists Outside Influence. 26 Mar. 2015.

CGP Grey. Are Macau & Hong Kong Countries?. Online video clip. YouTube.
YouTube, 9 Apr. 2014. Web. 2 Apr. 2015
.
Chen, G. (2014, September 15). Hong Kong Is Not Just 'Another Chinese City'. The
World Post.

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"Government Structure." GovHK: Government Structure. Hong Kong Government, Mar.
2015. Web. 23 Apr. 2015.

Hong Kong. Census and Statistics Department. Hong Kong Statistics.

"How China Is Ruled." BBC News. BBC News. Web. 23 Apr. 2015.

Lieberthal, K. (1992). Hong Kong Scenarios. The China Business Review. Web.

Ling, Bai. "Bai Ling Quote." BrainyQuote. Xplore. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.

The Government of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and The
Government of the Peoples Republic of China. Joint Declaration of the
Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and
The Government of the Peoples Republic of China on the Question of Hong
Kong. Vol. A301. Legislation.gov. Web. 26 Mar. 2015