Ten Years after the Handover

Ten years ago today Britain handed back Hong Kong, after 155 of proud rule, to, as Prince Charles described them, "appalling old waxworks" in an "awful Soviet-style display" of Chinese troops "goose-stepping" at the ceremony.

Britain has much to be proud of what they handed back; think of all the countless lives saved in the last century alone when millions upon millions of Chinese were killed by the madness of Mao during the Great Leap Backward, the insanity of the Cultural Revolution, the man-made famines and the ideological warfare that destroyed more of China than all the foreign armies in its history ever did.

And with more and more rights are being stripped away by the communist regime with the government declaring "We are against the anarchic call for 'democracy for all', and against anybody placing his own will above that of the collective," let us take this time to mourn what was lost but at the same time remember our former Commonwealth cousins; When Beijing makes statements like this, it's clear the situation will not get better.

Nevertheless, vestiges of Empire remain as seen from a quick glance of a city map- streets are still for the most part have names such as Prince Edward Road and Wellington Street. Colonial-era buildings and monuments still hold prominent spots -a statue of Queen Victoria remains in Victoria park not far from Victoria harbour.

Hong Kongers still remain deeply proud of the institutions the British bequeathed them from the judiciary with their English-style wigs and rule of law to its clean and open civil service - factors that continue to distinguish the city and give her an edge over her Chinese counterparts. Hong Kong remains Britain's third biggest trading partner in Asia with 3.6 million British passport holders and over 1,000 British businesses remaining.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Williams who happens to be a British policeman in Hong Kong and one of just 200 or so expatriates still left in a force widely known as "Asia's finest", is a living example of Britain's legacy a decade after: "People are still surprised when they come to Hong Kong, that they find there are expatriate police officers roaming the streets. I think that really adds to the international image of Hong Kong." Once the last expat officer retires in 2028, he admits "It will be the end of an era ... any expatriate influence or the colonial past will be well and truly gone by that stage, there'll be nothing left of us."

Some symbols of Empire remain... Pediment of the Legislative Council building The King George V postbox that was once here has now been replaced A Victoria Regina postbox