Despite the vast research by scholars on international history during the era of the Pacific War, comparatively little has been written about the bi-lateral relationship between the Chinese Nationalist government and the British government and their discussions during 1942-1949 over a post-war settlement in Asia. These were dominated by two underlying themes: the elimination of the British imperialist position in China and the establishment of an equal and reciprocal bilateral relationship. In particular, the book demonstrates these discussions on three key matters: treaties (the 1943 Sino-British treaty and the discarded Sino-British commercial treaty); the future of Hong Kong; and the political status of Tibet. As it will conclude, the negotiations over a post-war Sino-British settlement had an encouraging start in 1942-43 but by 1949 had failed to reach a satisfactory settlement. It is over-simplistic to address the issue of the failure merely through references to the stubbornness, or weaknesses, of each party, or the disturbance of the Chinese civil war. Behind the failure lay a more complex set of domestic considerations and external factors, including the powerful influence of the United States. Readers who either have an interest in the history of Sino-British relations or that relating to Hong Kong or Tibet will find the book worthy for a careful reading.weiterlesen