Euroman wrote:You are right. It doesn't matter. It crumbled as fast as it was built. For me, I am just enjoying the fact that almost every Brit that I ever spoke with didn't know that Hong Kong was British territory for all perpetuity. Until a better armed China asked for it back.
Had China been weaker at the end of the last century, Hong Kongs lease would doubtless have been renewed. But it was not.
While the UK govt' sold the hand over of Hong Kong as peaceful, on the day, the Chinese landed their paratroopers first. A clear message was being sent.
Gibraltar, like the Falklands are in entirely different geopolitical positions to Hong Kong due to the comparative weakness of the states contesting them with the UK. Neither Spain nor Argentina, nor indeed, Spain plus all it's allies, plus Argentina plus all it's allies are in a position to do much about anything, The Chinese however,
were.
(Spain can't even secure it's own territorial claims vs Morocco).
Nor is there any particular expectation of either them to be able to change this in the forseable future.
Lets face it, the Spanish Empire is more likely to implode further than it is
to expand iself into a greater world power and take over from any of it's historic rivals of centuries ago.
Spains greatest enemy is itself.
Spain is not China and neither is Argentina. Little dogs yapping.