It is hard to believe that it has been eight years already since Britain handed Hong Kong over to China on July 1, 1997.
For whatever reason, I came to be really interested in this development about a dozen years ago. For a time, I read every book I could find on the subject and even wrote a research paper on the subject. Many believe that Britain turned her back on the people of Hong Kong and could have done more. Others contend that she had a weak negotiating position at the time. As the handover got closer, there were both encouraging promises made and concerning warning signs. Unfortunately, reality hasn't played out quite as many had hoped. The possibility of direct elections of Hong Kong's leader by 2007 now appears dead.
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