Handover of Hong Kong

Quick Facts: Who was Handover of Hong Kong?

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Handover of Hong Kong

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The transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the UK to the People's Republic of China in 1997.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the People's Republic of China occurred at midnight on 1 July 1997. This event ended 156 years of British rule, dating back to the capture of Hong Kong Island in 1841 during the First Opium War. Hong Kong was a colony within the British Empire from 1841, except during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong from 1941 to 1945. Its territory expanded after the First Opium War with the addition of the Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutters Island in 1860 and the New Territories in 1898 under a 99-year lease. The 1984 Sino–British Joint Declaration set the terms of the 1997 handover, under which China pledged to uphold "one country, two systems" for 50 years.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Hong Kong became China's first special administrative region, followed by Macau in 1999 under similar arrangements. With a population of about 6.5 million in 1997, Hong Kong made up 97 percent of the population of all the British Dependent Territories and was Britain's last major colony. Its handover marked the end of British colonial prestige in the Asia-Pacific region where it had never recovered from the Second World War, which included events such as the sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse, the Fall of Hong Kong itself and the Fall of Singapore, as well as the subsequent Suez Crisis, the Malaya Emergency and Aden Emergency after the war. The transfer, which was marked by a handover ceremony attended by Charles III (then as Prince of Wales) and broadcast around the world, is often considered to mark the definitive end of the British Empire. Influence from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-led central government in Hong Kong expanded significantly during the late 2010s and 2020s, roughly two decades after the handover.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests prompted the introduction of the 2020 Hong Kong national security law and the 2021 Hong Kong electoral changes. These measures drew criticism from the British government, which declared that China was in a "state of ongoing non-compliance" with the Joint Declaration. Hong Kong is now widely regarded as being under tight control of the Chinese government, with its autonomy largely symbolic. Following the end of the Second World War, both the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) proposed "(China) to recover Hong Kong" (Chinese: 中國收回香港, Yue Chinese: 中國收返香港), which had since been the common descriptive statement in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan until the mid-1990s. "Reunification of Hong Kong" (Chinese: 香港回歸) was used by a minority of pro-Beijing politicians, lawyers and newspapers during Sino-British negotiations in 1983 and 1984, and gradually became mainstream in Hong Kong by early 1997 at the latest.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1841: 1841 Milestone — This event ended 156 years of British rule, dating back to the capture of Hong Kong Island in 1841 during the First Opium War.
2. 1860: 1860 Milestone — Its territory expanded after the First Opium War with the addition of the Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutters Island in 1860 and the New Territories in 1898 under a 99-year lease.
3. 1983: 1983 Milestone — "Reunification of Hong Kong" (Chinese: 香港回歸) was used by a minority of pro-Beijing politicians, lawyers and newspapers during Sino-British negotiations in 1983 and 1984, and gradually became mainstream in Hong Kong by early 1997 at the latest.
4. 1984: 1984 Milestone — The 1984 Sino–British Joint Declaration set the terms of the 1997 handover, under which China pledged to uphold "one country, two systems" for 50 years.
5. 1997: 1997 Milestone — The handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the People's Republic of China occurred at midnight on 1 July 1997.
6. 1999: 1999 Milestone — Hong Kong became China's first special administrative region, followed by Macau in 1999 under similar arrangements.
7. 2019: 2019 Milestone — The 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests prompted the introduction of the 2020 Hong Kong national security law and the 2021 Hong Kong electoral changes.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Handover of Hong Kong

True or False: “The initial British control over Hong Kong was established through a single treaty signed in 1842.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): British control was solidified through multiple treaties: the Treaty of Nanking (1842) for Hong Kong Island, the Convention of Peking (1860) for Kowloon Peninsula, and the lease agreement for the New Territories in 1898.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Agustín Gamarra — Historical peer (Died in 1841) (1841): Peruvian soldier and politician who served twice as President of Peru in the 1800s.
• Ahmed Urabi — Historical peer (Born in 1841) (1841): Pioneering Egyptian military and political leader who spearheaded the 'Urabi Revolt.
• Adam Kuper — Historical peer (Born in 1941) (1941): Influential British social anthropologist known for research in Southern Africa.
• Adnan Khayr Allah — Historical peer (Born in 1941) (1941): Iraqi military officer and Minister of Defense, closely associated with the Ba'ath regime.
• Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi — Historical peer (Born in 1945) (1945): Yemeni politician who served as the second President of Yemen from 2012 to 2022.
• Adolf Hitler — Historical peer (Died in 1945) (1945): Austrian-born German politician who became dictator of Germany during the Nazi era.
• Aleksey Khomyakov — Historical peer (Died in 1860) (1860): Founding theoretician of the Slavophile movement in Russian philosophy.
• Alphonse Mucha — Historical peer (Born in 1860) (1860): Master of Art Nouveau, famed for decorative posters and The Slav Epic.

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