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September 24, 1982, Beijing, outside the north gate of the Great Hall of the People.

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, dressed in a blue robe, walked out of the door with her head down and remained silent. As a result, she stumbled on the next step and touched the ground with one knee and both hands.

This scene was quickly recorded by reporters nearby, and the next day, major media outlets around the world reported Mrs. Thatcher's fall in prominent positions. For the British Prime Minister who had just won the Falklands War, this was undoubtedly one of the most embarrassing moments in her life.

Before Mrs. Thatcher fell, the "Iron Lady" who visited China for the first time had a heated meeting with Deng Xiaoping. It was a very wonderful conversation, and the tone for solving the Hong Kong issue was set in that conversation.

In her meeting with Deng Xiaoping, Mrs. Thatcher, who had just won the Falklands War, wanted to exchange sovereignty for governance and continue to let Britain govern Hong Kong. She insisted on the "three treaties are valid" theory and completely ignored the proposal put forward by China. At the beginning, Mrs. Thatcher continued to promote the three unequal treaties (namely the Treaty of Nanjing, the Treaty of Beijing and the Sino-British Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory) as valid, and Britain governed Hong Kong based on them. Her second main argument was that Hong Kong must be ruled by the British to maintain its current prosperity. Without British rule, Hong Kong's prosperity would be gone. Her third main argument was that if China announced that it would take back Hong Kong, Hong Kong would be in turmoil and face disastrous consequences. This was somewhat threatening.

The negotiations were tense. Mrs. Thatcher's arrogance angered Deng Xiaoping, and everyone present felt his anger. The British Daily Telegraph later reported that Deng Xiaoping whispered to an assistant: "I simply can't talk to this woman. She is totally unreasonable."

Deng Xiaoping fully expounded the basic position of the Chinese government on the Hong Kong issue to her, firmly and clearly stating that the sovereignty issue is not a matter for discussion and there is no room for maneuver on this issue. In 1997, China will take back Hong Kong, not only the New Territories, but also Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Otherwise, no Chinese leader or government can explain to the Chinese people, or even to the people of the world. If it is not taken back, it means that the Chinese government is the late Qing government and the Chinese leader is Li Hongzhang!

Deng Xiaoping's statement destroyed Mrs. Thatcher's fantasy of "replacing three unequal treaties with one unequal treaty". In response to the view that Hong Kong's prosperity must be ruled by Britain, Deng Xiaoping refuted: "Hong Kong's continued prosperity fundamentally depends on China taking back Hong Kong and implementing policies suitable for Hong Kong under Chinese jurisdiction." In response to Mrs. Thatcher's third point, Deng Xiaoping refuted: "If announcing the recovery of Hong Kong will bring about disastrous effects as you said, then we must bravely face this disaster and make a decision." Mrs. Thatcher was silent for a long time after hearing this.

Deng Xiaoping's attitude became tough. In the first confrontation, both sides refused to give in. Deng Xiaoping's position was firm, and Mrs. Thatcher, known as the "Iron Lady", was also unwilling to give in. Finally, Deng Xiaoping said bluntly: "What I am worried about is that there will be great chaos during the transition period, and this chaos is man-made. There are not only foreigners, but also Chinese, and mainly British. What if there is a serious fluctuation in Hong Kong? The Chinese government will be forced to reconsider the time and method of recovering Hong Kong." The peaceful tone spoke very important words, and it should be said that Mrs. Thatcher understood this very important sentence. Finally, Deng Xiaoping suggested that the two sides reach an agreement that both sides agree to start consultations on the Hong Kong issue through diplomatic channels. He also said that no later than one or two years, China will officially announce the decision to recover Hong Kong.

The "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher had a bad start. She was defeated immediately when she confronted Deng Xiaoping, who was known as China's "Steel Company". Margaret Thatcher was helpless. She was a little dazed when she left the Great Hall of the People. She fell down the steps of the East Gate, but was fortunately helped up by Chinese security personnel in time. This shot was filmed by a Chinese cameraman. In order to save her face, it was not broadcast on the news, but it was often shown in related documentaries in the West and Hong Kong.

Why did she fall? Because when she came out, the sun was high and the concrete floor was very reflective. The steps at the east entrance of the Great Hall were all the same, with no color difference, and looked completely white. Mrs. Thatcher was still thinking about the negotiations when she suddenly fell on the steps.