Chris Patten and the Handover of Hong Kong: A Pivotal Moment in History

The Historical Context of the Handover

The handover of Hong Kong was the culmination of a long and complex history. The British first acquired Hong Kong Island in 1841, after the First Opium War. In 1860, they leased the Kowloon Peninsula from China, and in 1898, they leased the New Territories, which made up the vast majority of Hong Kong's land area.

Over the years, Hong Kong developed into a major trading and financial center. It was also a refuge for people fleeing from communism in China. In the 1980s, as China began to改革开放, there was growing pressure for the British to return Hong Kong to Chinese rule.

In 1984, the British and Chinese governments signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which set out the terms for the handover of Hong Kong. The declaration stated that Hong Kong would become a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, with its own legal system, economic system, and way of life. The declaration also guaranteed that Hong Kong would retain its own currency, its own flag, and its own passports.