According to a story in the South China Morning Post, more than 90 percent of Hong Kong citizens polled in a recent survey said that they wanted the region to return to British rule, stating that they fear much of what makes the region great will eventually be lost.

A British colony for 157 years, control of Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997, making it the country’s first Special Administrative Region. It would seem, however, that many of its residents are far from happy, and wish to return to the days where the region operated independently of the People’s Republic of China.

In a survey conducted on its website on 12 March, the South China Morning Post asked whether, given the choice, Hong Kong residents would vote to return to being a British territory. Just 24 hours later, the results of the survey showed that more than 90 percent of those who responded said that they would prefer life to be as it was prior to Hong Kong being handed back to China.

▼ The landslide vote counted on the website.

hong kong chart

Concerns over food standards and the control that the Chinese government has over the freedom of information were cited as reasons for not wanting to be a part of mainland China, with some voicing concerns that were Hong Kong to continue on its current course, “[this freedom] will eventually be snatched away by the Chinese government, and we will end up like every other district in the mainland.”

The debate is thought to have been sparked after 98 percent of residents on the Falkland islands, a small archipelago situated off the coast of Argentina, voted in a recent referendum to remain under British control rather than fall under Argentinian rule.

Source/Inset image: まとめたニュース