The Hong Kong Diaries

The diaries of the last British Governor, five weeks on the Sunday Times best-seller list.

In June 1992, Chris Patten went to Hong Kong as the last British governor. His mission was not to prepare it for independence, as with other British colonies over the decades, but to prepare it for handing back in 1997 to the Chinese, from whom most of its territory had been leased 99 years previously.

Over the next five years, he kept this diary, which describes in detail how Hong Kong was run as a British colony and what happened as the handover approached. The Hong Kong Diaries provides unprecedented insights into negotiating with the Chinese, and details how the institutions of democracy in Hong Kong were (belatedly) strengthened. Patten sought to ensure that a strong degree of self-government would continue after 1997.

Unexpectedly, his opponents included not only the Chinese but also some British businessmen and civil service mandarins upset by Patten's efforts. For them, political freedom and the rule of law in Hong Kong seemed less important than keeping on the right side of Beijing.

The book concludes with an account of what has happened in Hong Kong since the handover, offering a powerful assessment of recent events. It shares Patten's reflections on how to deal with China, both then and now.