What does the UK, France and the Netherlands have in common?

[Montmorency]

That's kind of like kidnapping a baby and getting caught three years later - telling the court the kid now likes you more than its parents isn't gonna work.

And anyway, it's been a few decades. Let's ask them after it's been part of China for 150 years.

How chauvinistic of you, the territories that experienced European colonization have the legal agency of underaged dependents?

[Sarmatian]

How chauvinistic of you, the territories that experienced European colonization have the legal agency of underaged dependents?

Comparison isn't politically correct I admit, but it is appropriate. Additionally, we're discussing organized exploitation of hundreds of millions of people...

Just to be clear, I'm not really advocating former colonies have the moral grounds to demand reparations, but it is extremely childish (not to mention legally dubious) to compare to Viking raids or feudal politics. If we could dispense with that, we could have a serious discussion.

You can equate Hong Kongers' opinion with any dismissal you want. But why don't you find out their opinion first before condemning Britain? The last I heard, the antipathy between native Hong Kongers and mainlanders was notorious, with quite a swell of opinion towards the old days of British rule, and mainland Chinese condemning Hong Kongers as traitors. And the British government trying to keep out of the dispute.

I didn't condemn Britain, Hong Kong comparison was a response to something else.

On the other side, wherever there's a highly developed part of a country, people from that part often feel antipathy for people from other parts who are coming there "to steal their jobs and places at their schools and generally exploit the fact that they are so developed".

[Montmorency]

Actually, hold on, I like this idea - If China is the parent to Hong Kong's child, then what about contemporary national entities that were once held under colonial authority to their whole extent?

1. They are not of the age of majority and therefore have no legal standing to enter into any legally-binding agreements with 'adult' states, let alone sue them for anything.

2. Holy , these kids have no guardians! This is unacceptable! As responsible adult nations, we must arrange for the custody of these underage states: we must place them into foster care.

To avoid handing over nations to either their one-time kidnappers or to nations that can not adequately provide for them if given the responsibility, it is obvious that China should receive the entirety of the Caribbean, Latin America, and Africa as "wards of the state".