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HSBC HQ: Ready for a Handover Disruption?

HSBC's headquarter in Hong Kong is designed to be dismantled and moved if there was any possibility of a disrupted handover to the People's Republic of China, the article states. The British architect Norman Foster was responsible for the building's design, and construction was finished in 1985. Since 1884, the headquarters of HSBC have been based in Hong Kong; the current headquarters can be found in Central, which is the commercial center of Hong Kong.

The date of July 1, 1997 was chosen to mark the transfer of sovereignty for Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China. Despite this, there was a great deal of fear and uncertainty regarding the future of Hong Kong when it was under Chinese authority. There was widespread concern that the Communist Party would not respect the independence and freedoms that Hong Kongers had become accustomed to under British administration.

As a consequence of this, HSBC made the prudent decision to plan the construction of its headquarters in a manner that would make it possible for the building to be quickly disassembled and relocated if this became required.Because the transition went off without a hitch, HSBC was spared the inconvenience of having to relocate its headquarters. On the other hand, the fact that the bank was willing to do so demonstrates the level of fear that was prevalent at the time regarding the future of Hong Kong.

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