Handover of Hong Kong

The transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to China at midnight on 1 July 1997, ending 156 years of British rule over most of the territory.

Treaty of Nanking: The 1842 treaty that ended the First Opium War and ceded Hong Kong Island to Britain. It began British possession of Hong Kong Island, one part of the territory eventually transferred.
Joint Liaison Group: A Sino-British body established to discuss arrangements for Hong Kong's transition before 1997. It coordinated practical preparations without exercising governing authority over Hong Kong.
Margaret Thatcher: British prime minister from 1979 to 1990 who negotiated the Sino-British settlement over Hong Kong. She signed the 1984 Joint Declaration with Zhao Ziyang.
Hong Kong electoral reform: Changes to the rules for choosing Hong Kong's legislature and chief executive. Disputes over democratic representation became a recurring issue under post-handover governance.
Convention of Peking: The 1860 agreement that ceded the Kowloon Peninsula south of Boundary Street and Stonecutters Island to Britain. It added Kowloon to the British-held territory handed over in 1997.
Hong Kong Basic Law: The constitutional document specifying Hong Kong's system of government after its return to China. It translated the agreed post-handover framework into Hong Kong's governing rules.
Zhao Ziyang: Chinese premier from 1980 to 1987 who signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration. He negotiated the agreement that set the handover's terms.
Hong Kong protests: Public demonstrations in Hong Kong over political, social, and economic issues. Protest movements have challenged how the post-handover settlement is interpreted and administered.
Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory: The 1898 agreement that leased the New Territories to Britain for 99 years. The lease's 1997 expiry made continued British administration of the whole territory impractical.
One country, two systems: A constitutional principle allowing Hong Kong to retain a distinct economic and legal system within China. It was the central promise shaping Hong Kong's status after the transfer.

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