Before the return of Hong Kong Island, Britain plundered hundreds of billions of dollars of wealth from here every year, which means that if Hong Kong Island returns to the motherland a little later, it means that huge wealth will continue to fall into the hands of the British. In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, our army had the opportunity to seize Hong Kong Island and Victoria Bay, but the reason why the chairman stopped this move may be related to the image created by Mr. Lin. It was not until 48 years later, in 1997, that we officially took back Hong Kong Island. The Falklands (Malvinas) in South America share similarities with Hong Kong Island. Argentina tried to retake the Falklands by force, but the British fought back across the ocean, and the Argentine army held out for only 74 days before losing control of the Falklands again. Argentina's spectacular "white coat across the river" plan ended in failure. In contrast, although our army was able to solve the problem within 3 days, it chose to wait patiently for 48 years before taking back Hong Kong Island. Why hasn't Hong Kong Island become a second Falklands?To answer this question, we need to start with the dispute over sovereignty over the Falklands and Hong Kong Island. First of all, there are many similarities between the origins of Falklands and Hong Kong Island. The full name of the Falklands is the Malvinas Islands, which were called the Falkland Islands by the British army.
Located in the South Atlantic Ocean, about 500 kilometers from Argentina, about 1,000 kilometers from Antarctica, and about 480 kilometers from the Strait of Magellan to the southwest, the Falklands consist of 346 islands and reefs with a total area of 1It is 180,000 square kilometers and has a population of just over 3,000 people. In contrast, Hong Kong Island is located east of the Pearl River Estuary and is less than one-tenth the size of the Falklands. Connected to the mainland by the Shenzhen River in the north, about 200 kilometers from Guangzhou and 62 kilometers from Macao in the west, Hong Kong Island consists of 262 islands with a population of about 7.5 million. The British claim to the Falklands was based on the fact that the English navigator Davis first discovered the Falklands in 1592 and Captain John Strong first landed on the West Island of the Falklands in 1690. Argentina, on the other hand, claimed that the island had been under Spanish jurisdiction in 1770 and declared the Falklands part of its territory in 1820, four years after its independence. In contrast, Hong Kong Island is not subject to sovereignty disputes, as early as the Qin and Han dynasties, it belonged to Panyu County, the Sui and Tang dynasties belonged to Nanhai County, the Song and Yuan dynasties belonged to Jiangxi Province, and it has been under jurisdiction during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Britain declared sovereignty over the Falklands in 1833, at the height of its colonial empire.
The two Opium Wars forced the Qing Dynasty to sign the Treaty of Nanjing, the Treaty of Peking and the Treaty on the Extension of the Boundary Site of Hong Kong Island, and successively ceded Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula and Victoria Bay. In October 1949, the first Siye army successfully liberated Guangzhou, and then in the battle of crossing the river, our army planted the five-star red flag on the Nanjing ** Mansion. After the battles of Hengbao and Liangguang, the enemy army was defeated and retreated. The chairman announced that the People's Republic of China does not recognize any unequal treaties. Against this backdrop, a three-day battle plan was drawn up to recapture Hong Kong Island. However, although the Central South Bureau submitted a proposal to Beijing, it was rejected by the chairman, who instructed Siye not to cross the Shenzhen River for half a step. This decision came as a big surprise to the Hong Kong side and the British army, and even the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, were puzzled. Compared with our army's decisive counterattack on the British "Purple Quartz" in the battle of crossing the river half a year ago, the "postponement" of Hong Kong Island can not help but be surprised.
One reason for this is that 108 years have passed since the First Opium War, and there is a huge difference in the perception of Hong Kong Island and the mainlandSecond, New China is still in a state of ruins and needs to communicate with the world, so retaining Hong Kong Island means retaining a window to the outside worldFinally, Hong Kong Island's fresh water** is dependent on the mainland, and we can get it back at any time. It was precisely with this "lesson" that Britain became the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with New China. In contrast, in the Battle of the Falklands, Argentina, which had a geographical advantage, suffered a miserable defeat. In 1981, Argentina experienced a severe economic crisis, with a sharp decline in the domestic economy and manufacturing industry, and high inflation. The people were extremely dissatisfied with the authorities, and mass strikes of workers and citizens intensified. In March 1982, a group of mercenaries forcibly landed on the island of South Georgia, 1,390 kilometres east of the Falklands, set up camp and raised the Argentine flag. Subsequently, more than 100 soldiers of the Argentine Navy's "Joy Bay" landed on the island, forcing the British Navy's "Perseverance" to retreat. A month after the failed diplomatic mediation, the British sent a naval contingent to the Falklands, and the war officially began.
At the beginning of the Falklands Campaign, the Argentine Navy was victorious, using Exocet missiles to successfully sink the British destroyer Sheffield. However, as a military power with a long history, Britain quickly recovered and launched a counterattack, eventually regaining control of the Falklands. Despite Argentina's favorable timing and geographical location, why did they suffer a crushing defeat in the Battle of the Falklands?This battle was the prelude to the modern landing war, and Argentina was losing for a number of reasons. First, they lacked comprehensive military strength and relied too much on the army, while the navy and air force lost control;Secondly, the unfavorable political situation puts the situation in a dilemma;Third, due to economic conditions, they are unable to wage a large-scale war. In addition, although the majority of the international community supports Argentina, it is difficult for Argentina to stand alone. During the Battle of the Falklands, the destroyer "Sheffield" was sunk. In addition, Deng Gong once said: "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher was overshadowed. In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, our army did not immediately recover Hong Kong Island, and many factors were considered. Unlike Falklands, Hong Kong Island does not exist in isolation, but is closely connected with the mainland, and although our army has no naval and air support, its ground firepower is enough to make the British army fearful.
The reason why our army chooses to "put a long line to catch a big fish" is that it can not only divide the great powers diplomatically, but also cut off fresh water and vegetables at any time. The most important thing is that our army abolishes all unequal treaties and is ready to attack at any time. Just three months after the British won the Battle of the Falklands, Margaret Thatcher, the highly respected "Iron Lady", came to Beijing to discuss the return of Hong Kong Island. However, Thatcher, who cherished the victory of the Falklands, was extremely dissatisfied with the loss of control of Hong Kong Island, claiming that "if China insists on taking back Hong Kong Island, the economy and prosperity of Hong Kong Island will cease to exist." However, Deng Gong only said three words, which made the "Iron Lady" speechless. The first sentence is, "Hong Kong Island is a matter of sovereignty, and sovereignty is non-negotiable".The second sentence is "Chinese may be poor, but they are not afraid of death in the face of war";The third sentence is "If I don't take back Hong Kong Island, I will become the second Li Hongzhang". Deng Gong's tough response made Mrs. Thatcher, who was accustomed to wind and waves, feel a little at a loss, and even accidentally fell down when leaving the venue, but fortunately, our bodyguards helped her up in time. Politics and geography aside, how valuable is the economy of Hong Kong Island?According to British Prime Minister John Major's estimate in 1995, Britain can make a profit of hundreds of billions of yuan from Hong Kong Island every year.
While ensuring the stability of Hong Kong Island, the President of our country and the national leaders at that time considered long-term and immediate interests, not only ensuring that sovereignty over Hong Kong Island could be recovered at any time, but also expanding relations with Britain and Western countries. As the former "empire on which the sun never sets", the British ** team is not willing to fail. Before the return of Hong Kong Island, they even openly dispatched a mixed fleet of 34 ** ships to enter China's exclusive zone in the South China Sea in the name of "friendly visits". Fortunately, under the firm obstruction of our ** ship "Yibin Ship", they finally returned in vain. The reason why Tsim Sha Tsui on Hong Kong Island can maintain stability today is precisely because of great leaders like the chairman and Tang Gong, the guarantee of China's strong military force, and the response measures to "cut off supply" at any time. These factors have enabled China to always maintain a dominant position on the Hong Kong issue and will never repeat the mistakes of the Falklands Rebellion.