That legally binding lease was to last 99 years. On June 9, 1898, the British signed a deal with the Chinese to lease Hong Kong, Kowloon, and the "New Territories"—the remainder of the Kowloon Peninsula north of Boundary Street, more territory beyond Kowloon into the Sham Chun River, and over 200 outlying islands. Mr Chiu’s party, the Alliance to Resume British Sovereignty over Hong Kong and Independence, is the second to openly advocate breaking away … British overseas territories citizens from Hong Kong who did not register as British nationals (overseas) and had no other nationality or citizenship on 30 June 1997 became British overseas citizens on 1 July 1997. Hong Kong If you were a British overseas territories citizen only because of your connection with Hong Kong you lost that citizenship on 30 June 1997 when sovereignty returned to China. "If you were to ask them whether they were better off before the handover, the answer would probably be that things were a bit better.". But journalists and political analysts say that the ruling Chinese Communist Party has redoubled its ideological work efforts in the territory following mass demonstrations on July 1, 2003 against proposed anti-subversion legislation, which the government later abandoned. In 1949, although the victorious PLA had been fully prepared to march to the border and retake Hong Kong, the enclave was allowed to remain under British rule. When the Qing government discovered that banning opium imports outright did not work—because British merchants simply smuggled the drug into China—they took more direct action. Hong Kong was occupied by the Japanese from 1941 to 1944 during World War II but remained in British hands throughout the various Chinese political upheavals of the 20th century. If you’re not already a British national (overseas), you cannot apply to become one. Events since 2004—particularly in the summer of 2019—have shown that universal suffrage continues to be a rallying point for Hongkongers, while the PRC is clearly reluctant to allow Hong Kong to achieve full political freedom. The surrender occurred after 18 days of fierce fighting against the overwhelming Japanese forces that had invaded the territory. The user said the label "Chinese" had been thrust upon Hong Kongers following the handover. On Jan. 1 of this year, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Hong Kong to demand the resignation of embattled chief executive Leung Chun-ying and universal elections for his replacement. Hong Kong citizens could continue to practice capitalism and political freedoms forbidden on the mainland. Many trace their roots in Hong Kong as far back as when most of the Indian subcontinent was still under British colonial rule and as a legacy of the British Empire, their nationality issues remain largely unsettled. A new China's national security law appears to be convincing even more people to leave. "The interference from the Chinese Communist Party has frightened people in Hong Kong," he said. Hong Kong Island was first occupied by British in 1841. On July 1, 1997, Hong Kong was peaceably handed over to China in a ceremony attended by numerous Chinese and British dignitaries. In practice, few did. Although British imperialism never politically took hold in mainland China, as it did in India or Africa, its cultural and political legacy is still evident today. As a result, the British were given the island of Hong Kong and trading rights in the ports of Canton and Shanghai. A new China's national security law appears to be convincing even more people to leave. New York: Overlook Press, 2014. Several times in the first half of the 20th century, Britain considered relinquishing the lease to China because the island simply wasn't important to England anymore. I think the people of Hong Kong would rather be still under British dependence than under the Communist Party of China. The idea was that Hong Kong would remain as it was until 2047. For one, the British government’s view on its empire had been shifting from one of heavy control to one that resembled a loose commonwealth (more what it is today). Learn how Hong Kong has changed since then, including for travelers, and where the city might be headed. Poon said Hong Kong's own government was partly to blame. We have law and order, the English language, some common cultural values and regulations. Last year, proposals for patriotic education in the territory's schools were shelved after thousands of protesters camped outside government headquarters for several weeks, dressed in black and chanting for the withdrawal from the curriculum of what they called "brainwashing" propaganda from the Communist Party. Hong Kong, special administrative region of China, located to the east of the Pearl River estuary on the south coast of China. Chapter 18—Hong Kong 1997–2047: The Political Scene. The stability of those changes became doubtful after the Tiananmen Square incident (Beijing, China, June 3–4, 1989) when an undetermined number of protesting students were massacred. "Hong Kong people feel that [their own] government is doing a worse job than it was during British rule," Leung said. Hong Kong is a former British colony, which was handed back to China in 1997. Chief Superintendent of Trade, Charles Elliot, complied … An informal online poll by a Hong Kong newspaper inspired by a recent referendum in the Falkland Islands shows that 92 percent of readers who voted … But before Hong Kong was returned, the UK and China made an agreement to introduce "one country, two systems". Hong Kong was more complicated. In 1842, under British Queen Victoria's expansionist rule, Hong Kong became known as British Hong Kong. The culture in Hong Kong is different from mine in Europe. Just like the British, Hong Kong still drives on the left side of the road. There were politicians in England such as William Ewart Gladstone (1809–1898) who did recognize the danger and objected strenuously; but at the same time, there were men who made their fortunes, such as the prominent U.S. opium trader Warren Delano (1809–1898), the grandfather of future president Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882–1945). Thus, a system of barter based on Indian opium was created to bridge this problem of payment. This is unlike mainland China, where they drive on the right. 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