{"product_id":"the-hong-kong-diaries","title":"The Hong Kong Diaries","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn 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 Pattens 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 Pattens reflections on how to deal with China - then and now.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44946472665141,"sku":"ByrdShop_0241560497","price":65.42,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780241560495.jpg?v=1769951297","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-hong-kong-diaries","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}