Why would China want Hong Kong?

In less than a year, Hong Kong will be returned to the People's Republic of China. Hong Kong and its Western sympathizers are quite anxious. I, however, am curious as to why China would want Hong Kong back in the first place.

For one thing, this does not make sense with the real- politik the Chinese government practices. There is a debate why the Communists did not reacquire Hong Kong militarily when they swept through the country in 1949. Most likely, the Communists felt a British presence would be conducive to China's national security interests. Up to the current day, China has seen Japan as its greatest threat. A British presence in Hong Kong would check the Japanese, so Hong Kong was left as it was.

Politically speaking, the reacquisition is illogical. England appointed Christopher Patten to speed up democratic reforms in Hong Kong, ensuring that it would be a disruptive and dissenting state upon its return to communist China. As the bastion of the West in East Asia, Hong Kong will undoubtedly introduce Western views to the general Chinese population. This may prove problematic to a leadership struggling to redefine Chinese identity. The return of Hong Kong will benefit the democracy movement and endanger Chinese stability.

To Western analysts, China desires Hong Kong's economic value. But China has assured the British that Hong Kong will be administered independently for 50 years, and the two currently enjoy a prosperous trade. Despite factors which favor leaving Hong Kong alone, Chinese leadership is compelled to act upon Taiwan and Hong Kong--not because of national concerns, but historical symbolism.

Hong Kong is an important national symbol. At the end of the First Opium War, Hong Kong was ceded to the British, beginning the disastrous Century of Humiliation. With Hong Kong's return, the China Communist Party (CCP) will partially reconcile this century of humiliation.

The other symbol is Taiwan. After 1997, Taiwan will be the sole remaining symbol of China's century of humiliation. The Chinese refuse to negotiate Taiwan's sovereignty. American analysts are hoping that the Chinese and Taiwanese can reconcile their differences, as a united China will mean a more democratic China. But American policymakers must recognize that China's actions are driven by anguish over its own modern history. Only history can explain why China would jeopardize its immense trade with Taiwan and invite international scorn.

In its efforts to earn superpower status through a Greater Chinaism, the CCP will set into motion the political machinery guaranteeing its demise. Taiwan and Hong Kong will import ideas and values challenging CCP principles. But the CCP does not have a choice: the past, present, and posterity will compel them to reclaim Hong Kong and Taiwan. And with Taiwan an unblinking eye and Tiananminh Square a memory that still lingers, the CCP will have a difficult time responding to Hong Kong's internal subversion. Attempting to come to grips with history is not only unnecessary, but quite impossible.