Animated Explanation of The Confusing Relationship Between China and the Sister Islands of Hong Kong and Macao

In this video animation, CGP Grey explains the confusing and complicated relationship between China and the sister islands of Hong Kong (once a British colony) and Macao (once a Portuguese colony). As he explains, it’s an intricate Chinese constitutional principle, called One China, Two Systems, that maintains a unified China while allowing distinct regions their own financial and political systems. The real question, however, is how long will they stay that way, if they even do?

China didn’t agree to leave Hong Kong and Macau alone for all time, only fifty years, again passing political problems to a future generation…assuming such provincial concerns as these are not rendered irrelevant by the singularity, what happens in the 2040s? Will Hong Kong and Macau remain tiny city-states or will they lose their independence and be absorbed? Only China knows, and China does not say.