Late-1920s expeditions could land between 300 and 500 sailors, marines, and police with carrier support. By the 1930s, Hong Kong police increasingly arrived alongside soldiers of the Chinese Nationalist army. Diplomatic cultivation of the Nationalist government helped make that change possible, including ceremonial cooperation around Sun Yat-sen's mausoleum. Reliance on Chinese forces reduced the need to expose British troops in repeated local expeditions. It also freed British personnel to train for major war and prepare Hong Kong for a wider regional emergency.
Chapter · 39:25-40:46
Counter-piracy shifts from British raids to Chinese enforcement
Large British landing operations gave way to Hong Kong police working with Nationalist troops as diplomatic relationships improved and local enforcement became more dependable.