Essay Sample about Hong Kong's Autonomy

Hong Kong is not a sovereign state, but it is under China's Sovereignty which means it is under the control of the People's Republic of China. They transitioned into Chinese Sovereignty after years and years of struggle, but the residents are uneasy with Beijing's new rule. They began operating under the "One Country, Two Systems" principle. This is a constitutional principle developed by The People of China to describe the governance of Hong Kong after they were designated as Special Administrative Regions of China in 1997. Hong Kong is able to exercise a high level of autonomy while exercising legislative, executive, and judicial power as a result of its special status. In layman's terms, Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions may have distinct economic and political systems from their mainland Chinese counterparts. All of this while being a part of the People's Republic of China.

Hong Kong has been a Chinese possession for over 2200 years. When Hong Kong island was just a backwater fishing village in the nineteenth century, it was taken over by British pirates and drug traffickers. The British then annexed Hong Kong Island in the late nineteenth century, resulting in the export of a 99-year lease over what they called the New Territories. The lease over the territories expired, and the British were required to vacate under international law. They had no desire to return, but they couldn't survive without the support of mainland China. Hong Kong is completely reliant on China for food, water, power, jobs, and its overall future. This is why Hong Kong is unable to declare independence and become a country. There are numerous reasons why they are unable to declare independence. For example, China provides Hong Kong with water, electricity, and food; China has a military while Hong Kong does not; and, in general, China does not like it.

What do people think of Hong Kong's sovereignty? After the official handover of Hong Kong, the people of Hong Kong had many questions. The main concern they had was the territory's ability to maintain economic success while retaining political freedom. China made numerous promises to Hong Kong, the most important of which is that Hong Kong will be governed under a "one country, two systems" principle, with a "high degree of autonomy, except in foreign and defense affairs" (BBC News) People were not satisfied, and there was a mass protest later in 2014 when Beijing announced that the “direct election of the chief executive would be permitted, but only from a list of pre-approved candidates.” (BBC News) People wanted full direct democracy, so they shut down streets for weeks. They changed their minds as a result of the widespread protests. Many Hong Kong residents were still concerned about China's interference in Hong Kong politics, which was undermining more liberal traditions. Many residents viewed returning Hong Kong to China an almost natural thing but there are 2 different sides, some aren't bothered by it and some are. Many are in favor of the “one country, two system” principle. 

Overall, Hong Kong's sovereignty piqued everyone's interest. While many people believed that the "one country, two systems" principle was the best option for Hong Kong, there were still concerns about its viability. It was up to the beholder to determine whether or not this policy would work.