re: #261 NO SMOCKING GUN!

The PRC would’ve seen it as a clear affront to their sovereignty, and a massive loss of face if they acquiesced. At the very least, they would’ve clamped a blockade on HK and starved it out, but probably would’ve marched the army in and dared the UK to do anything about it, which of course they wouldn’t.

More realistically… China wanted so desperately bad to be part of the world community and fix it’s economy at that time.

There could be massive sanctions, an embargo by the much of the rest of the world. China was trying to get into the WTO at that point, they could kiss those ambitions goodbye.

“Most favored nation” trade status… not anymore.

Would marching into Hong Kong to make it a police state been worth all of that?