Grounded at Kai Tak: Chinese Aircraft Impounded in Hong Kong, 1949–1952

Merry tells the tale of this legal saga by weaving together archival documents and news reports of the day, revealing the international alignments that emerged from the aftermath of the wars and the colourful cast of actors that influenced the outcome of the dispute. This struggle would go on to become one of the leading public international law cases on the recognition of governments at the time.

‘This is the first book-length monograph on the legal and diplomatic battles for the ownership of the seventy-one aircraft grounded in Hong Kong. Set within the wider context of the Chinese civil war and the Cold War and packed with passionate characters, the book reads like a historical novel. A major contribution to Hong Kong history, legal history, and international history.’ —Chi-kwan Mark, Senior Lecturer in International History, Royal Holloway, University of London

‘This is a fascinating story, eloquently told by one of the true experts of Hong Kong’s modern legal history. By analysing the struggle for possession of seventy-one planes from many different angles, the author offers brilliant insights into law, society, and politics in post–World War II East Asia.’ —Lutz-Christian Wolff, Dean and Wei Lun Professor of Law, Faculty of Law, The Chinese University of Hong Kong