Agreement
Handover of Hong Kong to China, 1997
Britain transferred sovereignty over Hong Kong to China under a "One Country, Two Systems" framework promised to last fifty years.
What happened
The UK transferred sovereignty over Hong Kong to China on 1 July 1997, under the "One Country, Two Systems" framework set out in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration.[1]
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: The 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration set the terms for Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty, establishing a "One Country, Two Systems" framework under which Hong Kong's existing social, economic and legal systems, including its capitalist economy, independent judiciary, and freedoms of press, expression and assembly under the Basic Law, would remain unchanged for fifty years after the handover; the United Kingdom transferred sovereignty over Hong Kong to China on 1 July 1997.
- How Hong Kong Came Under 'One Country, Two Systems' Rule (History.com) link, 1984 Joint Declaration and 1997 Handover sections. Source record
- Hong Kong's Freedoms: What China Promised and How It's Cracking Down (Council on Foreign Relations) link, 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration and 1997 Handover entries. Source record