Core Historical Revisit 

In the 1950s, Cold War tensions and the Korean War led Western countries to embargo the new Communist China, indirectly turning Hong Kong into a key entrepôt and then a low-cost manufacturing centre.  Europe and the UK were rebuilding and gradually retreating from empire, but Hong Kong remained a vital British outpost. On the mainland, socialist transformation and political campaigns pushed more migrants south. Refugees provided cheap labour and entrepreneurial skills, powering textiles and light industry. Economic opportunities encouraged many Hong Kong people to stay, though some wealthier families already began placing relatives or assets overseas.