Balancing the Beijing–London–Hong Kong “Three-Legged Stool,” 1971–1986

The triangular relationship of Britain, China, and Hong Kong entered a new and very different phase during the governorships of Sir Murray MacLehose (1971–82) and Sir Edward Youde (1982–86). The fifteen years between 1971 and 1986 saw the normalization of Sino-British diplomatic relations and witnessed the Sino-British negotiations for Hong Kong’s future. The balance of Britain’s and China’s relations with Hong Kong was critically changed during this period.