logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2019
42m 20s

A Borrowed Time

NPR
About this episode
Over the past six months, demonstrations in Hong Kong have increasingly become more violent and more determined. What started out as a protest against a proposed extradition law has now become a call for China to recognize Hong Kong's semi-autonomy. But what is at the root of this tumultuous relationship between Hong Kong and China? This week, how Hong Kong became one of the most important, and most contested, cities in the world.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Aug 21
The Queen of Tupperware
Who ushered housewives into the workforce and plastic storage containers into America’s kitchens? Today on the show, the rise and fall of Brownie Wise, the woman behind Tupperware's plastic empire — and a revolution in women’s work.Guests:Alison Clarke, author of Tupperware, the ... Show More
49m 11s
Aug 14
We the People: Succession of Power
The 25th amendment. A few years before JFK was shot, an idealistic young lawyer set out on a mission to convince people something essential was missing from the Constitution: clear instructions for what should happen if a U.S. president was no longer able to serve. On this episod ... Show More
47m 31s
Aug 7
We the People: Cruel and Unusual Punishment
The Eighth Amendment. What is cruel and unusual punishment? Who gets to define and decide its boundaries? And how did the Constitution's authors imagine it might change? Today on Throughline's We the People: the Eighth Amendment, the death penalty, and what cruel and unusual real ... Show More
47m 58s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2022
Hong Kong: 25 years on
Twenty-five years since the handover of Hong Kong from the British back to China, journalist and former BBC Hong Kong correspondent Juliana Liu explores the cultural impact in Hong Kong itself and in the diaspora.Billy Tang is the new Executive Director and curator of Para Site, ... Show More
27m 30s
Jun 2020
Simon Cheng: 'We need to fight for democracy in Hong Kong and China'
One year ago, pro-democracy street protests began in Hong Kong. At the time, Simon Cheng was an employee of the British consulate in Hong Kong. Last August, he was arrested in mainland China and, he says, interrogated and physically abused. A year on, Mr Cheng is seeking asylum i ... Show More
23m 27s
Jul 2022
Hong Kong: 25 years since the handover from British to Chinese rule
Stories from Hong Kong, 25 years on since the handover from British to Chinese rule. We hear from the last governor of Hong Kong, a pro democracy campaigner and about life in Kowloon Walled City. (Photo: Chris Patten at the handover ceremony of Hong Kong from Britain to China. Cr ... Show More
51m 3s
Jun 2022
Hong Kong: The handover
In 1997 Hong Kong was a buzzing hub of capitalism surrounded by a communist state. It was also a colonial relic - still ruled largely from Britain. It was the job of former Governor General, Chris Patten, to hand it over to China. He tells Louise Hidalgo about it.(Photo of Chris ... Show More
8m 56s
Jul 2020
A Turning Point for Hong Kong
After protests convulsed Hong Kong for much of the last year, the city’s pro-democracy movement has been chilled by a new law that some say may change the semiautomonous territory forever. Today, we examine why China chose this moment to assert control, and what the new law means ... Show More
25m 5s
Feb 2023
The Unstoppable Economy Of Hong Kong: The Land Of Billionaires
Hong Kong has done very well for itself as a global middleman. And the meteoric rise of its neighboring economy, China, has only strengthened the city’s already-prosperous position.  But, of course, if you follow the news, you probably already know that Hong Kong has seen better ... Show More
21m 12s
Jun 2022
Hong Kong - Kowloon Walled City
A unique way of life came to an end in Hong Kong in 1993 when Kowloon Walled City was demolished. When the rest of Hong Kong was a British colony, the seven acres of the Walled City were still nominally under the control of mainland China - but it became a lawless world of its ow ... Show More
9m 5s
Jun 2023
From the archive: How Hong Kong caught fire: the story of a radical uprising
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2020: Hong Kong used to be seen as cautious, pragmatic and materialistic. But protests have transformed the city. As Beijing ti ... Show More
42m 27s
Nov 2021
Hong Kong, business and the national security law
Are Hong Kong's days as a major financial centre now numbered? The end of the pandemic has seen renewed economic growth. But some say tough anti-Covid rules and anti-protest laws are undermining what was once Asia's leading financial hub as thousands of people leave the territory ... Show More
18m 30s
Jun 2022
Hong Kong: Democracy campaigner
In 1997 Hong Kong was handed back to China after more than 150 years of British rule. There were ceremonies and fireworks to celebrate the end of colonialism - but some residents were not happy. Emily Lau was a leading democracy campaigner at the time and tells Mike Gallagher abo ... Show More
9m 2s