1997 Hong Kong WarIn response to the Communist Resurgence of the 1990s including the recent Soviet sponsored coup in Columbia as well as Chinese refusal to honor its commitment to one nation two systems", the United Kingdom has refused to handover control over Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China. At exactly midnight on July 1st, 1997 local time (Hong Kong 12 hours ahead of Washington) when the deadline for the handover had been reached, the Chinese People's Liberation Army initiated a full-scale invasion of British Hong Kong. Chinese President Li Peng announced that China was not technically at war with the United Kingdom and that the PLA was merely conducting a "special military operation" to liberate Hong Kong from imperialist occupation. Several Commonwealth countries and even the United States joined the United Kingdom in defending its hold on Hong Kong despite warnings from the Chinese President against intervention. While the United Kingdom and its Commonwealth allies are each contributing nearly half their respective armed forces, the Chinese still outnumber them by 10 to 1 so an increase in U.S. forces in Hong Kong is very likely. Since Article 5 doesn't include Hong Kong, NATO remains neutral in the conflict as does the Soviet Union due to not being formally aligned with China. As such there is consensus that the fighting currently does not qualify as a world war despite a number of tabloid magazines saying otherwise. The United States will unlikely carry out any military strike against China itself with the fighting being limited strictly to defense of Hong Kong however there is a strong possibility of economic sanctions.
1997 Hong Kong WarOther Events of NoteLibyan Terrorism and U.S. Response1997 Soviet-Israeli CrisisSoviets Help FARC Overthrow Government