{"product_id":"the-hong-kong-diaries","title":"The Hong Kong Diaries","description":"In June 1992 Chris Patten went to Hong Kong as the last British governor, to try to prepare it for handing back in 1997 to the Chinese, from whom most of its territory had been leased 99 years previously. \n\nOver 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. \n\nThe book gives unprecedented insights into negotiating with the Chinese, about how the institutions of democracy in Hong Kong were (belatedly) strengthened and how Patten sought to ensure that a strong degree of self-government would continue after 1997. \n\nUnexpectedly, his opponents included not only the Chinese themselves, but some British businessmen and civil service mandarins upset by Patten's efforts, for whom political freedom and the rule of law in Hong Kong seemed less important than keeping on the right side of Beijing.","brand":"TIMES DISTRIBUTION PTE LTD","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44242759581903,"sku":"9780141999708","price":34.88,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0574\/5662\/3823\/files\/download_36316382-1ae4-410e-a0b0-df2bcd1b0f70.jpg?v=1742547867","url":"https:\/\/popular.baby\/products\/the-hong-kong-diaries","provider":"Popular Book Company Pte Ltd","version":"1.0","type":"link"}