Canton–Hong Kong strike


The Canton–Hong Kong strike was a strike and boycott that took place in British Hong Kong and Canton, Republic of China, from June 1925 to October 1926. It started out as a response to the May 30 Movement shooting incidents in which Chinese anti-imperialist protesters were massacred by policemen, including Chinese and Sikh, under British command in Shanghai.

Incident

On May 30, 1925, Sikh police under British command opened fire on a crowd of Chinese demonstrators at the Shanghai International Settlement. At least 9 demonstrators were killed, and many others wounded. Escalating the incident, on June 23, 1925, a heated demonstration in Shamian took place as part of the Shakee massacre. Troops under foreign command killed more than 50 Chinese protesters and wounded almost 120 more.

Strike

called for a strike especially in Hong Kong where British imperialism was apparent. The Kuomintang leaders and Soviet advisors even considered attacking the International/Anglo-French Settlement in Shamian. Anti-British pamphlets were passed around in Hong Kong. Rumours also spread that the Colonial government planned to poison the colony's water supplies. Guangdong offered free train passage to Hong Kong. In the first week of protest, more than 50,000 Chinese left Hong Kong. Food prices soared. The colony was a ghost town by July. By the end of July, some 250,000 Chinese left for Guangdong. The worst of the strike was over by 1926.

Government and economy

The British government had to provide a trade loan of 3 million pounds to prevent the economy from collapsing. Hong Kong's top two colonial officials, Governor Sir Reginald Stubbs and Colonial Secretary Claud Severn were replaced in 1925 as a consequence of the crisis, under criticism from James Jamieson, British Consul General in Canton. They, he said, were out of touch and out of date, unable to converse in Chinese and ignorant of republican China.
An anti-British goods boycott continued for several more months. The economy was paralysed and Hong Kong's total trade fell by 50%, shipping diminished by 40%, rents decreased by 60%.

In literature

The Canton–Hong Kong strike plays a prominent part in André Malraux's first novel, The Conquerors.