The rise of Hong Kong is the story of a miraculous post-War boom, when Chinese refugees flocked to a small British colony, and, in less than 50 years, transformed it into one of the great financial centres of the world. The unravelling of Hong Kong, on the other hand, shatters the grand illusion of China ever having the intention of allowing democratic norms to take root inside its borders. Hong Kong’s people were subjects of the British Empire for more than a hundred years, and now seem destined to remain the subordinates of today’s greatest rising power.
Although we have witnessed the end of the mass protests that rocked Hong Kong in 2019-20, the political struggle for Hong Kong continues to be one of the biggest challenges to China’s authoritarianism in 30 years. Activists who are passionately committed to defending the special qualities of a home they love continue to fight against Beijing’s crafty efforts to bring the city into its fold and erase its recent past.
Jeffrey Wasserstrom, one of the world’s leading China specialists, draws on his many visits to the city, and knowledge of the history of repression and resistance, to help us understand the deep roots and the broad significance of the large protests that took place in Hong Kong five years go. The result is a riveting tale of tragedy but also heroism—one of the great David-versus- Goliath battles of our time, pitting determined street protesters against the intransigence of Xi Jinping, the most ambitious leader of China since the days of Mao.
