History of Hong Kong

This article details the history of Hong Kong.

Post-War period

After the end of World War II and the communist takeover of mainland China in 1949, hundreds of thousands of people emigrated from mainland China to Hong Kong, which had been an important entrepôt. However its position declined greatly after the United Nations ordered a trade embargo against the People's Republic of China as a result of the Korean War. Luckily, some of the new immigrants brought with them skills and capital, while others became a vast pool of cheap labour. At the same time, many foreign firms moved their offices from Shanghai to Hong Kong. This helped Hong Kong achieve its first economic successes and become a major manufacturing centre.

Related Topics:
World War II - Mainland China - 1949 - Shanghai

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However, despite the economic success, many employers did not treat their employees well. The ideal of communism impressed many young Hongkongers in the 1960s. In May, 1967, a labour movement under the influence of the Cultural Revolution in the PRC became violent. Riots followed in the next six months. A famous radio host, Lam Bun (林彬), who openly criticised the movement, was murdered. Leftist agitators in Hong Kong resorted to terrorist attacks by planting real and fake bombs around the city. After the Hong Kong government brought down the labour movement, the communists' web in Hong Kong was broken and the Hongkongers' view of the communists became negative. (Refer to Hong Kong 1967 riots)

Related Topics:
Communism - 1967 - Labour movement - Cultural Revolution - Lam Bun - Hong Kong 1967 riots

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In 1974, Murray McLehose founded ICAC, the Independent Commission Against Corruption. The situation was so bad that there was a mass petition by policemen against prosecutions. Despite early police opposition to the ICAC, Hong Kong was quite successful in its anti-corruption efforts, eventually becoming one of the least corrupt societies in the world.

Related Topics:
1974 - Murray McLehose - ICAC - Corruption - Least corrupt societies in the world

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The opening of the mainland Chinese market and rising salaries drove many manufacturers north. Hong Kong transformed into a commercial and tourism centre. High life expectancy, literacy, per capita income and other socioeconomic measures attest to Hong Kong's achievements over the last four decades of the 20th Century.

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