under the Special Administrative Regime arrangement.
In the past and at
present, the British Administration, has had to retain a certain
balanced policy towards the Kuomintang and the Communists,
so they have
been able to choose to remain as Kuomintang nationals. Judging from
this worry of the Kuomintang, the PRC's nationality policy towards Hong
Kong Chinese has provided her with another favorable political result,
whether intended or not.
To conclude, in this section we have noted that China's non-
recognition policy is implemented because of various political
considerations. First, this policy is used to back up the fight to
remove unequal treaties; second, this policy is used to retain political
control over the Hong Kong Chinese; and third, to disarm Kuomintang
supporters in Hong Kong. Among the three political purposes, the first
purpose seems to be more basic and important. Hong Kong is the first
territory that was lost to a foreign power under a treaty which the PRC
claimed as unfair and resulting from an unjust war. Being the first
case that led to many other "unequal treaties", the PRC cannot afford to
be seen losing her grip on it. Otherwise, it could have been taken for
granted that the PRC position on this issue can be flexible,
weakening. Secondly, due to the frequent reference of Hong Kong as a
colony, the PRC is prompted to be tough in dealing with this issue.
Ideologically, she cannot afford to lose face in front of Third World
leaders to whom the PRC wants to build up an influential leadership in
competing with the USSR. Thirdly, the termination of a lease on Chinese
territory has provided a most easy case for the PRC to build up her
credit for claiming back a national territory. Fourthly, due to her
willingness to negotiate the issue of decolonization,
Britain
if not,
provided
the PRC a chance for peaceful negotiation, a measure which the PRC can
appreciate in her attempt to keep a friendly neighbouring policy in
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