Deng Xiaoping was always tough on the issue of the Hong Kong garrison, as evidenced by his offer to meet with reporters in 1984 and his emphasis on China's right to garrison troops.
Deng Xiaoping took a resolute attitude towards the issue of Hong Kong's acceptance, and even considered taking it by force. So, what caused Deng Xiaoping to be so hardline? First of all, we need to understand the historical background and reasons why Hong Kong fell from the British to China.
Hong Kong had been under British colonial rule since 1842, after which the British kept Hong Kong in their hands through concessions and lease renewals. However, this colonial rule has aroused concern and controversy among the Chinese people over the sovereignty of Hong Kong.
Deng Xiaoping attached great importance to the issue of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and stood firmly on China's side. He has always maintained that Hong Kong is a part of China and that China has the right to exercise sovereignty over Hong Kong.
However, Britain has tried to get China to relinquish its jurisdiction over Hong Kong through various means. This behavior aroused Deng Xiaoping's strong antipathy and firm stance.
In 1984, Deng Xiaoping offered to meet with reporters, in which he stressed China's right to station troops. He announced China's sovereignty position over Hong Kong and made it clear that the PLA garrison is a completely legitimate and reasonable move.
However, Britain spared no effort to oppose the Chinese military presence and tried to create economic turmoil in order to hinder China's return to Hong Kong. In the face of all kinds of provocations and obstacles from the British, Deng Xiaoping made a tough response and insisted on the position on the issue of garrisoning.
He firmly believes that the PLA garrison is not an ornament, but a safeguard of China's sovereignty and stability over Hong Kong. Deng Xiaoping's hard-line attitude played a positive role in the Sino-British negotiations, which made some progress.
In order to resolutely safeguard China's sovereignty, the central authorities have also drawn up a plan for receiving the armed forces.
The plan was developed in response to possible extreme circumstances to ensure that China's sovereignty over Hong Kong is not violated.
Of course, we know that in the end there was no use of force to take over Hong Kong, and Hong Kong was officially returned to China in 1997. However, the background and purpose of the formulation of this armed takeover plan illustrate China's firm stance on Hong Kong.
Finally, Deng Xiaoping's emphasis on the PLA stationing in Hong Kong is not an ornament, which reflects the importance he attaches to the issue of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and his adherence to China's sovereignty. The presence of the PLA garrison is not to pose any military threat to Hong Kong, but to ensure a smooth transition and maintain stability after Hong Kong's return to the motherland.
Deng Xiaoping's emphasis on the significance of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) stationed in Hong Kong was also to show the world China's determination and confidence in Hong Kong. In short, Deng Xiaoping has always been tough and unyielding on the issue of Hong Kong's military garrison, and this is an expression of his firm stance on the issue of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.
His commitment to China's sovereignty and stability made him a key figure in the handover process. Deng Xiaoping's hardline attitude played an important role in the Sino-British negotiations, which eventually led to China's eventual success in regaining sovereignty over Hong Kong.
Moreover, Hong Kong's eventual return to China was also a challenging but successful one.