Jeffrey Wasserstrom

Hong Kong returned to Chinese sovereignty after 156 years of British colonial rule. The handover ceremony shows the Chinese flag flying after the Union flag was lowered on July 1, 1997.

Hong Kong still holds powerful symbolic meaning for China

Hong Kong isn't just a city — it's the place where China was able to strike a long-awaited blow at the Western powers who subjected China to decades of colonial humiliation. That's how Beijing still views the city, and that powerful past means compromise on the current protests is all that much harder.

Hong Kong still holds powerful symbolic meaning for China
People light candles outside the Kunming railway station after a weekend knife attack that killed 29 people.

A shocking knife attack in China leads to comparisons with 9/11

A shocking knife attack in China leads to comparisons with 9/11