July 1 - Hong Kong is Handed Back to China

This Day in History: 1 July 2020

 

1 July 1997

 

23 years ago, today, Hong Kong was returned to mainland China and Chinese rule. This was marked by a ceremony attended by Chinese President Jiang Zemin, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Princes Charles of Wales and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The turnover was protested over by a few thousand Hong Kongers, but despite this, the event was celebratory and peaceful. China had been invaded by Britain in 1839 to crush opposition to its interference in the nation's economic, social and political affairs. One of Britain's first acts was to occupy Hong Kong, which was given away by China to the British in 1841 with the signing of the Convention of Chuenpi.

 

Hong Kong flourished under British rule as an East-West trading centre and as the distribution centre for southern China. Britain gained an additional 99 years of rule over Hong Kong in 1898, but in 1984, after years of negotiation, this was brought to a halt. The British and Chinese signed a formal agreement approving the turnover of the region in exchange for the Chinese to promise to preserve the state's capitalist system. Hong Kong was peacefully handed back to China, and a new system was formulated by the new Hong Kong government and the chief executive, Tung Chee Hwa. This was a policy based on the concept of 'one country, two systems', preserving Hong Kong's capitalism.

 

Want to find out more about the history of Hong Kong under Britain and the turnover? Click here for more information of Hong Kong's history, or here for a video explaining about the turnover.