Chow’s article ‘Hong Kong in Hong Kong’ talks about the status of the US-third world relationship as represented by China. The author asserts that Western values continue to be imposed upon China, with pressure from the western countries for the country to westernize by adopting democracy and other western values. China, however, has remained strong in its resolve to retain its traditional system of government, which does not give weight to western ideals such as democracy (Chow 94). In criticizing western practices, especially with regard to China, the author points out how western media are out to portray in negative light countries like China, which have remained resilient from pressure to westernize their political structures.
The article correctly identifies the cause of the problem and antagonism between the US and China. The US, like its other western allies, is out to ensure that all countries of the world adopt its western ideals and values. By the fact that China has managed to resist these ideals and still develop its economy to such great heights, it is evident that western ideals have nothing much in their influence on economic growth.
The author uses the title of the article symbolically to show the irony of the situation in the relations between the US and China. While the US and her ally Britain would call the event in 1997 the handover of Hong Kong to China by Britain, the event was actually the return of Hong Kong to China from Britain. Most Western media ignore facts, which show that Hong Kong originally belonged to China and was only captured through the Opium Wars. This summarizes the intention of the author, which is to expose the malicious intentions of western countries against developing countries.
Works Cited
Chow, Rey. Hong Kong in Hong Kong: Watching the Handover from the US. Social Text 55, 16(2): 93-107. 2003. Print.