The Last Governor : Chris Patten & The Handover of Hong Kong (A Little, Brown Book)

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“Interesting conclusions about the conduct of British foreign policy on Hong Kong . . . an extraordinary diplomatic, political and personal drama.”—Julian Stockwin, author of To the Eastern Seas 1 July 1997 marked the end of British rule of Hong Kong, whereby this territory was passed into the hands of the People's Republic of China. In 1992, Chris Patten, former chairman of the Conservative Party, was appointed Hong Kong's last governor, and was the man to oversee the handover ceremony of this former British colony. Within the last five years of British rule, acclaimed journalist Jonathan Dimbleby was given unique access to the governor which enabled him to document the twists and turns of this extraordinary historical moment. As Governor, Patten encouraged the necessary expansion of Hong Kong's social welfare system, striving to reconcile the basic rights and freedom of over 6 million people with the unpredictable imperatives of Beijing. With “bracing narrative energy,” the author draws on the insights of a host of senior figures to place the crisis in both its human and historical contexts and presents some startling arguments about the conduct of British foreign policy on Hong Kong before and during Patten's tenure (The Globe and Mail). FRONT COVER FRONT FLAP HALF TITLE PAGE BY THE SAME AUTHOR FULL TITLE PAGE COPYRIGHT CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FOREWORD 1 'A TERRIBLE FEELING OF FALLING' The New Governor Arrives in Hong Kong 2 'RECKLESS AND UNSCRUPULOUS ADVENTURES' Britain Acquires a Colony 3 'WE HAD NO OPTION' Deciding Hong Kong's Fate 4 'NO ONE IS SAFE' Alarm Bells Across the Border 5 'NO MORE GAMES' The Governor Assesses his Options ILLUSTRATIONS 6 'A DEMOCRATIC TIME BOMB' Patten Draws Up a Blueprint 7 'YOU DESERVE BETTER' An Agenda for Hong Kong 8 'RESTRAINT IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES' Britain and China at Odds 9 'THE CRIMINAL OF ALL TIME' Beijing Campaigns Against the Governor 10 'PEBBLES IN A BLACK HOLE' Talks About Talks 11 'THE MAD GOVERNOR FACTOR' Negotiating in Earnest but in vain ILLUSTRATIONS 12 'WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOUR' Defending Free Speech 13 'A BRACING AND BRUISING EXPERIENCE' Charges and Counter-Charges 14 'INSIDE I'M CROWING LIKE MAD' LegCo Votes on Patten's Reforms 15 'A MATTER OF DECENCY' A Row Over the Court of Final Appeal 16 'A GOOD MOMENT' The First Fully Elected LegCo 17 'NOT REMOTELY ACRIMONIOUS' Tackling the Home Secretary 18 'THANK YOU FOR THE VISAS, PRIME MINISTER' John Major Brings Good News 19 'THE HEADBANGER IN HONG KONG' China Maintains the Pressure 20 'WE ARE NOT SIMPLY LIMP VICTIMS' The Governor's Authority Begins to Crumble 21 'WE ALL KNOW THE END OF THE PLOT' Wrangling About the Handover 22 'HONG KONG CAN'T BE LOBOTOMISED' Patten Runs Out of Time EPILOGUE SOURCES AND FURTHER READING INDEX BACK FLAP BACK COVER