Hong Kong Diary

Diary of the Last Governor of Hong Kong

Commemorating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland with a five-year memorial

"Serving as the Governor of Hong Kong is a very important part of my public career. It can even be said to be the most important position I have ever held in my life. I think everything that happens in Hong Kong in the next few years is of vital importance to everyone. We must Continuing to care about Hong Kong and speak out for Hong Kong shows that we agree with the values ​​​​of Hong Kong citizens’ brave struggle for freedom and democracy. As we know from what happened in Hong Kong, we cannot take the continued existence of these values ​​​​for granted. Hong Kong is free, Fighting for individual rights and dignity is also the goal we strive for together."──Patten

More than a hundred years ago, Britain acquired most of the land in Hong Kong (the New Territories) from China in the late Qing Dynasty through lease. In July 1992, Patten went to Hong Kong to take up his duties as the last British-appointed governor, preparing to transfer Hong Kong's sovereignty to China in 1997, rather than follow the British practice of dealing with other colonies in the past few decades and let it become independent. Over the next five years, Patten wrote these diaries during his tenure as governor of Hong Kong, detailing the workings of Hong Kong as a British colony and the events that unfolded as the handover of sovereignty approached.

The diary provides unprecedented insights into negotiations with Beijing, the (belated) strengthening of Hong Kong's democratic institutions, and Patten's search for the right amount of autonomy to allow Hong Kong to continue to function after 1997. Unexpectedly, not only the Chinese Communist Party opposed Patten's political reforms, but some British businessmen and senior government officials were also very dissatisfied with Patten's actions. For these people, maintaining good relations with Beijing seems to be more important, while Hong Kong's political freedom and rule of law are trivial.

The English version of this book was published on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong sovereignty. The author reflects on his various experiences in dealing with the Beijing authorities in the past and present. The short essay "The Destruction of Hong Kong" at the end of the book describes the development of the situation in Hong Kong since 1997, and makes an authoritative assessment of the setbacks Hong Kong has suffered in recent years.