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Only the New Territories were leased. Hong Kong Island and Kowloon was seized, similarly to Gibraltar, by the British.
The idea that an "open and liberal" Hong Kong is a better Hong Kong is purely subjective. While these ideals have generally accompanied historical success in the west, they have not in China. The CCP is not necessarily the Boogieman you want them to be.
I don't know man, the CCP is kinda anti democratic...
Such a strange view. For the people that grew up and live there these changes are terrible - in every objective and measurable way. It's so bad that those that can are trying to leave...
Living in the mainland and generally have no idea what's the impact of recent actions of gov, so can you elaborate more?
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I'm American. I live in China. I am pro freedom, individual rights, etc. He/She is right.

There's a huge disconnect between Westerners who have lived in China and speak some Chinese and Westerners who have never been to China and rely on our mainstream media to paint an accurate picture of the goings on in Mainland China and Hong Kong.

For an alternative view, search for Daniel Dumbrill and Nathan Rich on YouTube. They both speak Chinese and have lived here long enough to have a clue.

There was a recent BBC hit piece that targeted westerners who have been attacking the usual anti-China narratives. The BBC article was an obvious hit piece to most who have live in Mainland China.

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Subjective? What about the hundred flowers campaign?

> ... a period from 1956 to 1957 in the People's Republic of China during which the Communist Party of China (CPC) encouraged citizens to express openly their opinions of the communist party.

followed by

> Citizens were rounded up in waves by the hundred of thousands, publicly criticized, and condemned to prison camps for re-education through labor, or even execution.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Flowers_Campaign

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Historical success? The CCP is only 100 years old, China is 5000. Just because you crush revolts doesn't make your ideals successful.

Taiwan is the real China. The CCP is the boogieman and they're destroying both their history and the world.

The CCP are evil people and they are committing genocide.

Be Confucius, not Mao.

Or perhaps, as a better fit for democratic ideals than Confucius, maybe Mozi?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozi

AFAIU the crackdown in Hong Kong was predicated on a seemingly Mozi-like argument. From Wikipedia: "Some believe the best descriptor to be state consequentialism. According to this reading, Mohist ethics makes moral evaluations based on how well the action, statement, etc., in question contributes to the stability of a state. Such state-related goods include social order, material wealth, and population growth."

In other words, the protests were threatening not only the stability of the parent Chinese state, but in their duration and severity even the stability of Hong Kong itself. In doing so, the protesters were being selfish and indulgently individualistic. At least, that's the argument the Chinese leadership regularly put forth.

It's amazing that a government can treat its citizens like chattel, and we have politicians here in the west that want to import that. It's disgusting
Are you serious? Confucius ask people to follow tight caste system and all the emperors love it to death. It’s actually great for dictators
Calling Taiwan the real China isn't really accurate. I suspect had they managed to crush the Red army the nationalists would have done very similar things to keep control of the region given the instability after they tried to westernise
Amazing what a culture of brainwashing can do
Hong Kong is literally a relic of colonialism.