| At midnight on June 30/July 1, the crown colony of Hong Kong officially reverted to Chinese sovereignty, ending 156 years of British rule. After a formal handover ceremony on July 1 that culminated a 13-year transition period, the colony became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China. The Sino-British Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong (1984) stipulated that under Chinese rule the HKSAR would enjoy a high degree of autonomy, except in ... |