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colonialism is widely seen as an anachronism, the chance of
obtaining the support of a foreign government for colonial rule
is minimal. Though out of self-interests or because of anti-
communist motives, foreign governments might adopt some communi
'sympathetic' stance toward Hong Kong, none of them (not even the
U.S. government) has been willing to play an explicit role in
undergirding colonial rule. Apparently the intense animus of
China to any foreign intervention is enough to deter active
foreign involvement in local affairs.
Britain's attempt to reverse the decline of colonial
authority has also met with limited success. The lack of
political leaders in Hong Kong in the first place prevents the
colonial government from expanding its authority through power
sharing with them. The existence of China as an alternative power
center would inhibit the efforts of Britain to cultivate local
leaders as her supporters. Attempts to mobilize support for the
government in its last days through the provision of popular
elections and representative government have been aborted as a
result of China's opposition, the resistance of the established
interests in Hong Kong, and the government's own reservations
about the loss of political autonomy and its apprehension about
inability to control the political situation. The political
forces in Hong Kong are quite fragmented, and the government has
in fact reinforced the degree of fragmentation by expediently
seeking the support of different forces in various times for
different political purposes. In the end, the internal support