The former British Colony of Hong Kong is one of the biggest trading centres in the world. Trade is something HK should know a lot about: after all, it has been traded for centuries as a People and an area. Its status has been determined due to trade since the Opium Wars of the mid 19th Century.
To understand what is happening in Hong Kong today, one has to go back nearly 200 years and understand its role in Trade. Then, and now, it is almost a keystone in an archway that leads from East to West and West to East.
If the archway of Hong Kong falls, then the Southern Hemisphere is up for grabs. If you don’t believe me, have a read and consider this small land mass and the role it has played as a keystone in two centuries of history. And it all started with the Opium Wars.
Here is how I see it: According to Wikipedia, “ In the 17th and 18th centuries, the demand for Chinese goods (particularly silk, porcelain, and tea) in Europe created a trade imbalance between Qing Imperial China and Great Britain. European silver flowed into China through the Canton System, which confined incoming foreign trade to the southern port city of Canton. To counter this imbalance, the British East India Company began to grow opium in India, and smuggled it into China illegally. The influx of narcotics reversed the Chinese trade surplus, drained the economy of silver, and increased the numbers of opium addicts inside the country, outcomes that worried Chinese officials. “
By 1839, The Chinese Emperor – having rejected proposals to make opium legal and therefore taxable, decided to call the opium trade quits. He wrote to Queen Victoria and did not get a response. He was no doubt very cross that he had been ignored and decided to confiscate all opium ready to head back to Britain, blockaded the ships and met with a very strident response from the British Government. The Royal Navy came in, guns blazing and forced the Chinese Government to hand over the port of Hong Kong to Britain as a Crown Colony. In this way, Hong Kong became a trading port for Britain that was well and truly a gateway in to China. All done under the Treaty of Nanking.
Over the years, back in the late 1800’s the treaty extended the area covered and, after the inclusion of the New Territories, became watered down to a 99 year lease. Hong Kong became traded off with the New Territories and Britain walked away.
If Hong Kong had stayed protected by Britain, it would still be safe. But Britain, for whatever reason, decided to lump HK in with the New Territories and China gets one of the most important trading ports in Asia.
Under the terms of the takeover back in ’97, China agreed to keep Democracy in place for 50 years.
They are very close to breaching that commitment.
It started with Trade and it will end with Trade. And, like 200 years ago, it will end with bloodshed over Trade.
Trump is playing kind with China. Morrison from Australia is being coy. Bottom line? In my opinion, if Hong Kong falls, the Southern Hemisphere falls.
This is the acid test.
China, the Stealth Dragon is starting to exert its strength. Hong Kong is its first prey. Win Hong Kong? Win the Southern Hemisphere.
If this takeover is allowed to occur, then we, downunder, are in need of mandarin lessons. After all, they have controlled our agriculture, our airways, our Universities, our security and our technology and trade for years.
It is absolutely vital that the world defends Hong Kong – not only for the sake of the people of that region, but also because if China gets away with crushing the Rights of these people to democracy awarded to them under the 50 year takeover agreement – then China will not stop. This will not be the end. It will be the beginning.
Years ago, I knew a man who told me that he worked for the Australian Agricultural dudes. He said that his job was to teach China how to farm our barren landscape. He said, back in 2005,
“ China does not need to invade us. They are simply buying us. “
As a dear friend of mine recently said : The Bridge over the River Cry.
And cry we will when Hong Kong Falls.
