What is China’s “one country, two systems” policy?

By A.K.

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of demonstrators repeatedly took to the streets of Hong Kong in June to protest against a proposed law that would allow the extradition of criminal suspects to mainland China. Their demonstrations, some of the largest in Hong Kong’s history, were instrumental in persuading the territory’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, to suspend the bill. In agitating against closer ties, Hong Kongers made use of freedoms that are denied in mainland China. What is their origin?

In the late 20th century three historically Chinese territories remained beyond the control of the Chinese Communist Party: Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong. Shortly after emerging as China’s paramount leader in 1978, Deng Xiaoping declared his ambition of achieving “reunification” with Taiwan. The island is technically the last stronghold of a government that once ruled all of China until a civil war ended in victory for the Communists in 1949, sending the defeated nationalist army into exile on Taiwan. Since then it has become a democracy, and its people increasingly identify as “Taiwanese”. Rulers in Beijing are sworn to unify the island with the mainland, if needs be by force.