Despite being the largest nation in terms of population unified by its beautifully intricate language and being equipped with rich culture and heritage, China has been under internal tensions presently. With Hong Kong, China's most developed and independent city having a large number of protestors against Mainland China, the disputes have been escalating rapidly for many number of reasons.
Background
While China was a vast empire during the 19th century, the city of Hong Kong was under the rule of the British and it one of the prosperous colonies of Great Britain. The difference between the historical roots of Mainland China and Hong Kong were broad due to the English influence and penetration of its culture. Moreover, China also leased Hong Kong to the British for 99 years. Hong Kong turned out to be a manufacturing hub and an influential trading port in the east. But in the early 1980s, the British had to return Hong Kong to China due to the approaching deadline of the 99 year lease. The two nations came to a deal in 1984 which says that China can takeover Hong Kong in 1997 under a policy "one country, two systems". According to this, Hong Kong should enjoy complete independence and autonomy from China except in foreign and military affairs. This means that Hong Kong can have a special status in the country with it's own legislation and jurisdiction. Hong Kong was deemed to enjoy many privileges compared to Mainland China.Current situation
Though Hong Kong enjoys a special status, the privileges are on the verge of compromise due to many internal issues and political meddling of China into Hong Kong's legislative affairs. This led to a lot of protests and agitation by the people of Hong Kong and China is currently facing a challenge to subdue them. One of the major protest is the anti-extradition bill which gained a lot of momentum. This protest opposes the rule which says the criminals of Hong Kong should be extradited to Mainland China. This movement started on 31st March 2019 and is still a hot topic on the global platform. This specifically targets the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 which legalises extradition. This bill violates the autonomous nature of Hong Kong and instills fear in the natives regarding the Chinese interference. Many demonstrations have been done by the natives of Hong Kong which gained a lot of popularity in a very short span of time.
Way Ahead
Having talked about the present scenario of Hong Kong and China's tension, the future holds many possibilities. From separation of Hong Kong from Mainland China to rise in terrorism in the areas, every scene looks plausible and accurate. A peace treaty between the two parties should be held and made sure the disputes are settled internally without any commotion external influences. This promotes global peace and also retains the ethics of the nation.
This is Mayank Amrit. I am a student of B.Sc in physics at Hyderabad. I aspire to become an IFS officer one day and serve the nation. I am a public speaker which is my passion.During my leisure, I tend to annoy people around me, read books, listen to music and pay attention to the smallest wonders of life.
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