alt Hacker NewsThe eradication of democracy in HK is extremely sad, but unfortunately it was only ever leased from China and the UK did not have a sound basis in international law for not handing it back.
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HexDecOctBin • 08/21/2026
Ah, so international law matters? In that case, surely China will follow the verdict of the South China Sea Arbitration?
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> it was only ever leased from China
Only part of Hong Kong, the New Territories, was leased from China. Hong Kong Island and Kowloon were ceded to the UK in perpetuality.
The UK didn't have to give them back but it also didn't have a reliable fresh water supply for such a large city that didn't depend on mainland China.