The Hong Kong Diaries

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Patten’s sense of humour shines through every day, and he needs it. “Our terrific chefs made sure that whatever was being said about me by Beijing, my morale was not entirely blown away. Inevitably I started to put on weight.” He has a way of adding to finished sentences with a little clip like that, as in “James doesn’t drink … (well not very much).” His chatty style makes the diary an easy read, in spite of its length. It was a very interesting read. Getting a first hand account of Hong Kong's final years as a British colony. I also really liked the personal touch, especially finding out the on one of his birthdays in HK he went to Lamma Island and at at the pigeon restaurant, where my family and I often ate as well. While I found the book really interesting, I don't think somebody who hasn't lived in HK would find it that interesting. But the final chapter I found to be particularly interesting as Chris Patten gave his thoughts on the current situation in Hong Kong. Beyond doubt, Chris Patten as the last governor of Hong Kong has leave some indelible marks in the city, which has always been a key player in global economy and, lately, politics. It is within readers' expectation to get some insights from his book on the past, present and future of Hong Kong. However, this book will probably disappoint everyone who wish to learn more about the city through his writing.

But I don’t think we should delude ourselves; I think we have to be pretty clear about what is our real interest, and we have to constrain China, not contain it.” Fears over TaiwanAs an insider's account, The Hong Kong Diaries is filled with that daily sense of grappling with a multi-headed hydra ... There is an inescapable poignancy to reading this diary in 2022: it is a snapshot of a unique moment at the end of empire, and a now fading picture of an extraordinary society that flourished in its brief moment of freedom. Isabel Hilton, Times Literary Supplement I am largely a fan of Patten (although I've always been bemused how such an intelligent, logical and caring man can believe in god, and be a practicing member of the Catholic church...). His Hong Kong diaries nudged me slightly in a negative direction, although there is much about hime that I continue to admire. I began the month with a deeply depressing lunch with the board of Standard Chartered Bank. They are critical of what we are doing in Hong Kong – no, not critical, really hostile. They don’t think we should be doing or saying anything which annoys Beijing. Their advice and knowledge of what is happening in Hong Kong and China seems remarkably limited and deeply and uninterestingly small-‘c’ conservative. Friday 19 November

We crossed the harbour, one of the great journeys in the world. Fire boats spray water; a 17-gun salute resounds from HMS Tamar, the onshore naval base; and there was a fly-past by planes and helicopters. I was never greeted like this in Bath. Friday 10 July Whatever we had done in terms of changes before 1997 were unlikely to have affected the way that the Chinese Communist Party behaved after the arrival of Xi Jinping in the top job,” Patten said. I’ve got increasingly cross about references to Chinese ‘face’ (by the older group in particular) and feel that we need to refer ourselves to British ‘face’ from time to time.” (p.17)Hong Kong's last British governor accuses Beijing of 'vengefully' targeting city's freedoms - Hong Kong Free Press HKFP Close I woke at about 4.15am, my arms and hands rigid with adrenaline. The message for the day was, ‘we are making a fresh start with China’. The Prime Minister took me on one side and said that he hoped they could square this message with the expression of a lasting commitment to Hong Kong. I think he’s genuine about this and that he is trying to be courteous to me as well.