This booklet is the second unit of a training course developed for Air Reserve personnel about countries and territories in the Pacific. This unit discusses Hong Kong and includes background information, review questions, and a list of readings for further study.

Interview with Navy veteran Jean Balch, including Balch's personal experiences about the Pacific theater, being a prisoner-of-war of the Japanese during World War II, boot camp, radio, radar, and gunnery school, operations during the Leyte invasion, missions over Luzon, and raids on Japanese installations on Formosa and Saigon, French Indo-China. Additionally, Balch talks about his plane being shot down on a raid to Hong Kong and his capture on January 16, 1945, interrogations and beatings by the Kempei-tai, imprisonment at Ofuna, Honshu, solitary confinement for six months and continued interrogation, beatings by Japanese prison guards, starvation diet, the end of the war and liberation, and his participation in the war crimes trials held by the International Military Tribunal.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has recently recovered from an economic downturn and the SARS virus outbreak of 2002-2003 which crippled trade and tourism. There has also been a major change in the top government personnel, with the former Chief Executive, Tung Chee-Hwa, being replaced by Donald Tsang as the new Chief Executive of Hong Kong. The next major the issue to be addressed in Hong Kong is the pace of further democratization and the the extent to which the next elections for the Legislative Counsel will be based on direct elections of all seats or a larger portion thereof.

Photograph used for a story in the Daily Oklahoman newspaper. Caption: "Waving Farewell, members of the U.S. Table tennis team board a Lufthansa plane in Tokyo Friday for flight to Hong Kong en route to Communist China."

Photograph used for a story in the Oklahoma Times newspaper. Caption: "A border policeman, left, escorts returning members of the U.S. table tennis team after they cross the border from Communist China into Hong Kong."

Photograph used for a newspaper owned by the Oklahoma Publishing Company. Caption: "Members of the U.S. Table Tennis team delegation face a barrage of cameras and newsman Saturday as they delegation face a barrage of cameras and newsman Saturday as they emerge from a British customs building after crossing border from Communist China into Hong Kong."

Photograph used for a newspaper owned by the Oklahoma Publishing Company. Caption: "Members of the U.S. Table Tennis Team are pictured with Communist China's Premier Chou En-Lai and other chinese officials in Peking Wednesday."

Photograph used for a story in the Daily Oklahoman newspaper. Caption: "An Oklahoma teacher who survived the crash of a hijacked plane in China earlier this month has been moved to a Hong Kong hospital and will return to Oklahoma soon, it was reported Friday."

Photograph used for a newspaper owned by the Oklahoma Publishing Company. Caption: "Vietnamese refugees hang banners appealing for aid from the sides of the freighter Huey Fong anchored about a mile outside Hong Kong waters Wednesday."

Interview with Navy veteran Melvin R. "Pancho" Baird. It includes a combination of interviewing and reading from Baird's personal correspondence about his pre-World War II experiences with the U.S. Asiatic Fleet and his later experiences in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Baird talks about his stationing aboard the destroyer USS Alden as a radioman, the grounding of the SS President Hoover off of Hoishito Island, the Sino-Japanese War, liberty ashore various Asian port cities, events on the South China Patrol, civilian activities after his discharge, activities as a radio technician on Blue Beach during the Okinawan Campaign, kamikaze actions on Okinawa, and typical shipboard routine.

Dress of multi colored pastels in a plaid print; Knee length cotton sheath dress; Button front; long sleeves; fully lined; side vents at hem. Retailer's label: "Bonwit Teller" Designer's label: "Imported fabric / by / Boussac of France" Care label: "WPL 1100 / 65% cotton 35% rayon / hand washable / Made in Hong Kong"

Hong Kong's return to China on July 1, 1997, went surprisingly smoothly. In the ensuing months, policy analysts are trying to assess how the territory will fare in the longer run under Chinese rule. The answer is important to U.S. interests because of the enormous U.S. economic presence in Hong Kong; because any adverse developments in Hong Kong are likely to affect U.S.-China relations; and because China's promise to give Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy under the "one-China, two-systems" policy has major implications for Taiwan. But given the political situation, the American ability to affect the course of events in Hong Kong seems marginal unless the U.S. decides to confront Beijing more directly. Developments in U.S.-China relations in recent years suggest Washington might be hesitant to do so.

In the months approaching China's resumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong on July 1, 1997, policy analysts are trying to assess how the territory will fare under Chinese rule. The answer is important to U.S. interests because of the enormous U.S. economic presence in Hong Kong; because any adverse developments in Hong Kong are likely to affect U.S.-China relations; and because China's promise to give Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy under the "one-China, two-systems" policy has major implications for Taiwan. But given the political situation, the American ability to affect the course of events in Hong Kong seems marginal unless the U.S. decides to confront Beijing more directly. Developments in U.S.-China relations in 1994-1995 suggest Washington might be hesitant to do so.

In the months approaching China's resumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong on July 1, 1997, policy analysts are trying to assess how the territory will fare under Chinese rule. The answer is important to U.S. interests because of the enormous U.S. economic presence in Hong Kong; because any adverse developments in Hong Kong are likely to affect U.S.-China relations; and because China's promise to give Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy under the "one-China, two-systems" policy has major implications for Taiwan. But given the political situation, the American ability to affect the course of events in Hong Kong seems marginal unless the U.S. decides to confront Beijing more directly. Developments in U.S.-China relations in 1994-1995 suggest Washington might be hesitant to do so.

Dressing robe of light green raw silk with light yellow decorative topstitching in floral design around neckline and cuffs. Full length, jewel neckline with padded collar, front center zipper opening past hips, three-quarter length raglan sleeves, deep angled bust darts, a-line silhouette. Lined in bright yellow silk. Label at center back neckline: Dynasty / Made in Hong Kong / British Crown Colony / Dry Clean Only"

Evening dress of ivory wool knit. Covered with iridescent sequins and is decorated at lower part with five bands of gold/copper sequins, three bands of rosettes composted of gold beads and pearls, and two bands of "garlands" with suspended pine-cone forms and diamond shapes of copper/gold sequins, gold bugle beads, and gold beads. Sheath style; full length. Vent at left hem. Sleeveless; rounded neckline. Elastic petersham. Zipper closure along center back. Label reads: Gene Shelly's / Boutique Internationale / California / Hand Decorated in Hong Kong / 100% Wool

Trench coat of brown vinyl. Pointed collar. Knee-length or slightly longer. Long sleeves with translucent, brown plastic button on cuff. Single breasted with closure of nine matching buttons. Two patch pockets at front hips. Diamond motif of stitching and small vinyl diamonds at yoke and pockets. Back yoke of coat lined in dark yellow fabric; balance of coat unlined, showing orange cotton knit backing of vinyl. Designer label on inside right of opening: "Ginessa / Made in / British Crown Colony of Hong Kong" Care label to right of designer label. Size label at left inside seam: "12" Content label center back neckline: "75% Vinyl / 25% Cotton / Made in British Crown / Colony of Hong Kong" With matching sash belt of same material.

Evening ensemble of heavy pink Alaskine silk/wool blend, consisting of a jacket and dress. The jacket is a cropped, bolero style, with rounded neckline and short sleeves. It has a center front opening with single hook-and-eye at throat. The sleeves, neckline, opening, and hem are edged in band of pink and crystal beads and rhinestones. Scattered over the surface of the jacket are clusters of pearl, crystal, and silvered beads. The matching dress is full-length, with an Empire waist. It is sleeveless, with very slight scoop at front neckline, and a deep rounded scoop to mid-back at back.The straps are heavily beaded with pink and crystal beads and rhinestones. The 4-gore A-line skirt gathers slightly into bodice. The dress has an inner pink nylon(?) sheath lining. The jacket labels are: Retailer's label: "R.S.V.P. / Neiman-Marcus" Designer's label, underneath retailer's label: "Gino Charles" Size label: "8" The dress labels are: Designer's label: "Gino Charles" Origin label: "Made in the British / Crown Colony of Hong Kong" Size label: "8"

Map shows major cities and physical features of six continents and islands of the South Pacific; navigational details for the Canton River, Hong Kong, "Van Diemens Land" [Tasmania], the "River Hooghly," Singapore, and Good Hope. Insets: "Canton River and Hong-Kong," "Van Diemens Land," "Mouths of the River Hooghly," "Island and town of Singapore," and "Colony of Good Hope." Includes small illustration of village along the Hugli River on inset map. Relief shown by hachures. Depths shown by soundings on insets. Scale not given.

Letter from Elaine Harmon to Rigdon and Mary Emma Edwards discussing their appearance on the newspapers, her son's recent marriage, her son's life, a visit to the Dyes Air Force Base, and wanting to review a book.

Sound recording of Margaret Parx Hays and friends addressing Hays' mother on and before Chinese New Year in 1964.

Sound recording of Margaret Parx Hays addressing her mother while in Hong Kong, China in June of 1964.

Sound recording of Margaret Parx Hays and friends addressing Hays' mother while in Hong Kong, China and Bangkok, Thailand in June of 1964.

Sound recording of Margaret Parx Hays and another woman addressing Hays' mother while in Hong Kong, China in January of 1964.