Oh sure, they could have held the tiny island itself since the British held that under a lease that never expired, but most of Hong Kong was spread out to the mainland on a lease about to expire. Was Britain really expected to defend the enclave?
But the idea that China would respect the Hong Kong system was a farce. And after ten years, it is obviously a farce:
While Taiwan has moved peacefully from dictatorship to democracy, Hong Kong's democratic development is stalled indefinitely. Only half of the legislature's seats are elected and the chief executive is chosen by Beijing and ratified by a committee of 800 people most of whom are also chosen by Beijing. The purported commitment to democracy Beijing made in its 1984 agreement with Great Britain over the island's return, in fact, only made it a vague, "ultimate aim."
And China, with an eye toward Taiwan, is on their best behavior. Can you imagine what China would do to Hong Kong if they weren't trying to look their best? (Oh yeah, that would look like Chinese policy toward Tibet). The Taiwanese should take note:
Beijing wants its "Taiwan compatriots" to come back to the "motherland." Its dubious methods of persuasion include not only missile volleys and international isolation, but also the "negative lesson" of Hong Kong's experience under Chinese rule.
In the shadow of China's looming power, defending democracy and freedom is no easy task. But it is worth it. Ask the people of Hong Kong who knew freedom and now watch it being wrested from their grasp a little bit more each day.
In the end, one China allows for only one system. That is the ultimate aim.
