Hong Kong Hong Kong & & TaiwanTaiwan--political outliers-

political outliers-

Hong Hong KongKongSAR– Special SAR– Special

Administrative RegionAdministrative Region• “One Country, Two Systems”– Limited Democracy

• A history of transition:– 1842 (Treaty of Nanjing): Transferred from China to UK– 1984: Agreement between China and UK--- Hong Kong will transition back!– 7.1.1997: Transitioned to China– REGION WILL HAVE 50 YEARS AUTONOMY…

• 7.1.2047=

• Leung Chun-ying: Chief Executive/ Head of Gov’t– Since July 2012– next to be held in March 2017

Foreign Policy

DefenseCurrency CustomsEverything else…

In pictures: HK handover anniversary 7.1.2007

**At midnight on Saturday, Buddhist monks marked the exact anniversary of the return by tolling a bell to pray for a better future.

**Transition Audio Slideshow: Hong Kong Resident Memories

Chinese Press Chinese Press Censorship?Censorship?

The activists are demanding sweeping reforms in the Hong Kong government, including universal suffrage.

The Umbrella RevolutionThe Umbrella RevolutionFacts:Facts:• What: China had previously pledged to give Hong Kong citizens

universal suffrage starting in 2017, but on Aug. 31 its legislature ruled that candidates must be screened by a committee, which would give Beijing an effective veto over anyone viewed as unfriendly to the central government. China also asserted the right to interpret Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law, citing it as justification for its view that candidates are to be nominated by committee rather than directly by voters and must be loyal to the Communist Party.

• Who: The movement was initiated by a group called Occupy Central With Love & Peace, led by Hong Kong University law professor Benny Tai. Staged protests Fall 2014.

• Why: The main demand is full democracy. Protesters want the right to nominate and directly elect the head of the Hong Kong government, known as the chief executive.

• As a secondary demand, protesters want the current chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, to resign, which he has flatly refused to do. Leung is widely disliked because he is seen as prioritizing China’s interests over Hong Kong’s. He was also indirectly elected by an electoral college of just 1,200 voters, of which 689 voted for him. He is mockingly referred to as “689” after this feeble tally.

What’s happening now?• For Hong Kong's

student protesters, 2015 is off to a dismal start. They'd hoped that months-long demonstrations would lead to greater openness and dialogue with the city's pro-China government. Now that he's cleared the streets, though, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying seems to have lost interest in talking.

• Twitter– #Umbrellarevolution– #Umbrellamovement

TaiwaTaiwann• PRC=PRC= People’s Republic of China (China) People’s Republic of China (China)

• ROC=ROC= Republic of China (Taiwan) Republic of China (Taiwan)

• 1949-The split:– After losing to Mao and the CCP, Chang Kai

Shek fled to Taiwan with fellow nationalists (Kuomintang)

• UN Recognition--– 1949-1971: ROC has “China’s” UN seat– 1971- Present: PRC has “China’s” UN seat

• ROC claims for a seat denied (because of “One China”)

• US Recognition--– 1979– Taiwan Relations Act (See handout)

• One China Policy-– Thus 24 countries recognize ROC as independent

country:• Burkina Faso, El Salvador, Belize, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, Marshall

Islands, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Paraguay, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Panama, the Vatican, Swaziland, Malawi, Sao Tome and Principe, Haiti, Gambia and St. Kitts and Nevis

Definition: One China PolicyDefinition: One China Policy

•The One-China policy states that the People's Republic of China (PRC) is the sole legitimate government of mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

•All countries seeking diplomatic relations with the PRC must acknowledge this policy and refrain from maintaining official relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan).

•History:

• The leaders of Taiwan & China have long subscribed to the one-China policy--each insisting on their own government's legitimacy--but the Taiwanese position has eroded over the past few decades as the People's Republic has gained international prominence.

• Taiwan's softened position is spelled out in its 1991 Guidelines for National Unification, which insists only that a unified China must be "democratic" and "free," not necessarily led by Taiwan.

• China’s position remains fundamentally unchanged.