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China's rocky relationship with Hong Kong: 10 key moments

To help understand how China's relationship with Hong Kong has changed through its evolution from British rule to special administrative region, here are 10 key moments:

Strikes signal Hong Kong's dissatisfaction with British - 1925

  • By Meredith Bennett-Smith Contributor

On the heels of World War I, Chinese nationalism grew stronger and more influential. The Strike-Boycott of 1925-1926 was an indication that the power of such revolutionary nationalists movements was beginning to be felt across the harbor in Hong Kong – and there was little the British could do about it.

On May 30, 1925 the Sikh police operating under the command of Britain opened fire on a crowd of Shanghai demonstrators, killing at least nine. 

The situation in the region became even more volatile when troops under foreign command killed more than 50 Chinese protesters in Canton. Union and labor leaders in Canton called for a general strike in southern China, especially in the symbolically imperialist Hong Kong.

In the first two weeks of the strike, more than 50,000 left Hong Kong for the mainland in protest. A run on the banks and aggressive picket lines resulted in an economic standstill, as close to 250,000 more residents streamed across the border. By the time the strike and accompanying boycott ended in 1926, China’s influence over the colony had been clearly reaffirmed.

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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