The Gate to China

'You can understand a lot about China's relations with the rest of the world ... by looking at how the leadership in Beijing has dealt with Hong Kong ...The Gate to China meticulously details why this is so ... in this very readable book Sheridan takes the reader through the tortuous Sino-British negotiations that led to the handover ... impressive ... fascinating' Sunday Times 'Highly readable ... Sheridan covers the Sino-British negotiations over Hong Kong's future in engaging detail...he adds colour to existing accounts ... provides a welcome contrast to many of the existing histories of the period' Literary Review 'An authoritative history of Hong Kong and its relations with the UK and China ... even-handed ... Analyses with a wealth of documentary evidence the motivations of Chinese leaders in seeking to reverse historical humiliation' Financial Times 'Sheridan's gripping and richly researched history sheds a highly critical light on those British officials of the Thatcher era who seemed to favour Beijing's autocracy over the promotion of liberal values and movingly recounts the brief hopes of Hong Kong's reformers whose democratic enlightenment has turned to darkness' Rana Mitter, BBC History Magazine 'A fascinating account...with vivid pen portraits...from hardened apparatchikii to idealist young demonstrators' The Tablet 'A delightful piece of writing and research which describes the remarkable history behind the handover of this unique and exciting city' Jasper Becker, author of The Chinese 'Deeply researched and beautifully written, Sheridan's book provides a fresh perspective on the extraordinary story of Hong Kong ... Essential reading for anyone interested in the saga of a city whose fate has dominated the headlines' Mike Chinoy, former CNN Senior Asia Correspondent and Beijing Bureau Chief