China mainland often calls Hong Kong's return to the motherland (China), which refers to a historical event in which People's Republic of China (PRC) resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong on 1 July 19971day (the 99-year period when Britain leased Hong Kong to the New Territories expired) and Britain handed over its administrative power to the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. At the same time, China people in Hongkong became citizens of China people, and their China status was restored.
British rule over Hong Kong began with the First Opium War. After the defeat of the Qing Dynasty, the treaty of nanking signed in 1842 ceded Hong Kong Island to Britain.
1860, the Qing Dynasty was defeated by the British and French allied forces in the Second Opium War, and signed the Beijing Treaty, ceding the south of Boundary Street in Kowloon Peninsula to British administration.
1898, the Qing dynasty and Britain signed the "Special Provisions on Expanding the Border of Hong Kong" and leased the New Territories for 99 years. 1997 expired on June 30. These three unequal treaties determine the scope of Hong Kong today. ?
Since 1982, People's Republic of China (PRC) has started negotiations with the British government on the future of Hong Kong. Although both the treaty of nanking and the Beijing Treaty expressly stipulated that Hong Kong Island and Kowloon south of Boundary Street would be permanently ceded to Britain, People's Republic of China (PRC) refused to recognize all unequal treaties, only recognized that Hong Kong was administered by Britain, not British territory, and demanded that Britain return Hong Kong Island and Kowloon together with the New Territories.
In view of the fact that there is not much flat land in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, water, food and other materials are mostly supplied by the New Territories or Chinese mainland, so it is difficult to be self-sufficient, and the whole of Hong Kong has not been specially developed separately because of the three treaties. In addition, the military expenditure of the colony was huge, and the British government decided to return the sovereignty of Hong Kong to China, but at the same time, it tried its best to safeguard its interests in Hong Kong. ?
China and Britain finally signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration in 1984, and decided to establish the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in People's Republic of China (PRC) from 1 July 19971day to exercise sovereignty over Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula south of Boundary Street and the New Territories. Most Hong Kong people seldom consider the future of Hong Kong's sovereignty before China and Britain start detailed negotiations.
Since the government planned large-scale infrastructure projects such as Hong Kong Metro and Hong Kong International Airport in the early 1970s, the investment return period has spanned 1997 for 30 years. At that time, when raising funds from the international community, it was already affected by the uncertain political future of Hong Kong.
1 July, 9971day, in the focus of countless eyes all over the world, the national flags of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region were raised in Ran Ran, the venue of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.
People all over China cheered the arrival of this great moment-the return of Hong Kong to the embrace of the motherland.
The return of Hong Kong is a great event for the people of China to report the centennial national humiliation, an important step to complete the great cause of the reunification of the motherland, and an example for the international community to solve problems left over from history through negotiations. Since then, Hong Kong has entered a new era of continued prosperity, stability and development under the condition of "one country, two systems".