In June 1992 Chris Patten went to Hong Kong as the last British governor, to try to prepare it not (as other British colonies over the decades) for independence, but for handing back in 1997 to the Chinese, from whom most of its territory had been leased 99 years previously. Over the next five years he kept this diary, which describes in detail how Hong Kong was run as a British colony and what happened as the handover approached. The book gives unprecedented insights into negotiating with the Chinese, about how the institutions of democracy in Hong Kong were (belatedly) strengthened and how Patten sought to ensure that a strong degree of self-government would continue after 1997. Unexpectedly, his opponents included not only the Chinese themselves, but some British businessmen and civil service mandarins upset by Patten's efforts, for whom political freedom and the rule of law in Hong Kong seemed less important than keeping on the right side of Beijing. The book concludes with an account of what has happened in Hong Kong since the handover, a powerful assessment of recent events and Patten's reflections on how to deal with China - then and now.
Table of Contents
Foreword
What, When, Who, How?
Democracy and the Dragon: April 1992 - April 1993
Round and Round the Mulberry Bush: April 1993 - April 1994
Winning the Big Vote: April 1994 - April 1995
Starting the Countdown: May 1995 - May 1996
The Empire Goes Home: May 1996 - June 1997
Postscript
The Destruction of Hong Kong: What Happened after 1997?
Who Was Who and Where are They Now?
Preview (external link)
Christopher Patten introduced "The Hong Kong Diaries" (external link)
趙善軒、鍾劍華談《The Hong Kong Diaries》(香港日記) (external link)
