On Hong Kong, Israel, South Africa
Hong Kong was set to be returned to China in 1997. Thatcher accepted this but wanted to entrench strong democratic values and economic strength to influence China’s communist government into liberalizing elsewhere. She wanted to change China when Hong Kong became part of that country. Thatcher was open about her intentions. She wanted China to recognize the economic superiority of the Western market. The US was most responsible for the establishment of Israel. Thatcher believes that Britain was build on Judaeo-Christian values. Britain stays balanced between Palestine and Jewish influence on the Arab-Israeli conflict.
South African segregation was part of a tradition that Thatcher effectively supported. She did not want to abandon SA because of the racial violence occurring there. She felt the policy reflected the hierarchical values of that society. Brian Mulroney attempted to push for the exclusion of SA from the Common Wealth, Thatcher felt he was posturing. Thatcher didn’t want to give Mulroney her negotiating hand because concessions often get pocketed if revealed inappropriately.