- Title: Timeline of Hong Kong's politics, on six month mark of anti-government protests
- Date: 9th December 2019
- Summary: Hong Kong was returned to Chinese sovereignty on July 1 1997 after 155 years of British rule. The transfer of sovereignty is known commonly as "the handover", when then-Chinese President Jiang Zemin, the last colonial governor Chris Patten, Prince Charles, then-Prime Minister Tony Blair attended the ceremony. HONG KONG, CHINA (FILE - JUNE 30, 1997) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (AGENCY POOL) UNITED KINGDOM AND HONG KONG COLONIAL FLAGS LOWERING PRINCE CHARLES LOOKING ON CHINESE AND HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATION REGION FLAGS BEING RAISED CHINESE FLAG BEING RAISED THEN CHINESE PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN LOOKING ON VARIOUS OF CHINESE AND HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATION REGION FLAGS FLYING
- Embargoed: 23rd December 2019 04:29
- Keywords: China Hong Kong Occupy Sino-British Joint Declaration Umbrella anniversary extradition handover one country protests two systems
- Location: HONG KONG / SHENZHEN, GUANGDONG PROVINCE / BEIJING, CHINA
- City: HONG KONG / SHENZHEN, GUANGDONG PROVINCE / BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: Hong Kong
- Topics: Government/Politics,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA002B99TOW7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: December 19th marks the 35th anniversary of the signing of an agreement by China and Britain over Hong Kong, which laid the blueprint over how the city would be ruled after its return to China in 1997.
The Sino-British Joint Declaration, signed on December 19, 1984 by then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang, laid out how Britain would end its century-and-a-half long rule over Hong Kong. It also guarantees the city's rights and freedoms under the "two systems" formula.
Under Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, Hong Kong was guaranteed its freedoms for "at least 50 years" after 1997.
This year, Hong Kong has been rocked by six months of sometimes violent unrest in the biggest challenge to Chinese stability since the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989.
The protesters' demands include universal suffrage, an investigation into alleged police brutality and an end to Beijing's perceived efforts to undermine democratic freedoms promised when the former British colony was handed back to China in 1997.
China denies interfering in Hong Kong's affairs and says it is committed to the "one country, two systems" formula enshrined at the handover and guaranteeing the territory a high degree of autonomy. Beijing blames foreign countries including the United States for inciting unrest.
(Production: Phyllis Xu) - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
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