Canton-Hong Kong strike

The Canton–Hong Kong strike (省港大罷工) was a strike and boycott in that took place between Hong Kong and Canton (now Guangzhou), China from June 1925 to October 1926. It started out as a response to the May 30 Movement shooting incidents in which Chinese anti-imperialist protesters were massacred by policemen including Chinese and Sikh under British command in Shanghai.

On May 30, 1925 Sikh police under British command opened fire on a crowd of Chinese demonstrators at the Shanghai International Settlement. At least 9 demonstrators were killed, and many others wounded. To further escalate the incident, on June 23, 1925 a heated demonstration in Shamian (then spelled Shameen) took place as part of the Shakee massacre. Troops under foreign command killed more than 50 Chinese protesters and wounded almost 120 more.

Guangdong called for a strike especially in Hong Kong where British imperialism was apparent. The Kuomintang leaders and Soviet advisors even considered attacking the International/Anglo-French Settlement in Shamian. Anti-British pamphlets were passed around in HK. Rumors also spread that the Colonial government planned to poison the colony's water supplies. Guangdong offered free train passage to HK. In the first week of protest, more than 50,000 Chinese left HK. Food prices soared. The colony was a ghost town by July. By the end of July, some 250,000 Chinese left for Guangdong. The worst of the strike was over by 1926.

The British government had to provide a trade loan of 3 million pounds to prevent the economy from collapsing. An anti-British goods boycott continued for several more months. The economy was paralyzed and HK's total trade fell by 50%, shipping diminished by 40%, rents decreased by 60%.

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