History of Hong Kong

This article is part of a series on the
History of Hong Kong
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Prehistoric
Imperial  (221 BC – 1800s)
Bao'an County and Xin'an County
British Hong Kong (1841–1941, 1945–1997)
Colonial  (1800s–1930s)
Convention of Chuenpi
Treaty of Nanking
Convention of Peking
Japanese occupation (1941–1945)   (1940s)
Retrocession to China
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China (since 1997)
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The region of Hong Kong has been inhabited since the Old Stone Age, later becoming part of the Chinese Empire with its loose incorporation into the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC). Starting out as a farming fishing village and salt production site, it became an important free port and eventually a major international financial center.[1]

The Qing dynasty ceded Hong Kong to the British Empire in 1842 through the Treaty of Nanjing, ending the First Opium War. Hong Kong then became a British crown colony.[2] Britain also won the Second Opium War, forcing the Qing Empire to cede Kowloon in 1860, while leasing the New Territories for 99 years from 1898.[3][4]

Japan occupied Hong Kong from 1941 to 1945 during World War II.[5] By the end of the war in 1945, Hong Kong had been liberated by joint British and Chinese troops and returned to British rule.[6] Hong Kong greatly increased its population from refugees from mainland China, particularly during the Korean War and the Great Leap Forward. In the 1950s, Hong Kong transformed from a territory of entrepôt trade to one of industry and manufacturing.[7] The Chinese economic reform prompted manufacturers to relocate to China, leading Hong Kong to develop its commercial and financial industry.

In 1984, the British prime minister Margaret Thatcher signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which incited a wave of emigration from Hong Kong.[8] The handover of Hong Kong on 1 July 1997, returned Hong Kong to Chinese rule, and it adopted the Hong Kong Basic Law.[9][10]

In the 21st century, Hong Kong has continued to enjoy success as a financial centre. However, civil unrest, dissatisfaction with the government and Chinese influence, in general, has been a central issue.[11] The planned implementation of Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23 caused great controversy and a massive demonstration on 1 July 2003, causing the bill to be shelved.[12] Citizens expressed displeasure at their electoral system, culminating in the 2014 Hong Kong protests.[13] In 2019, the proposed Hong Kong extradition bill was seen as another step taken by the Chinese Communist Party to undermine Hong Kong's Rule of Law, instigating a new wave of protests.[14] In 2020, the National People's Congress passed the Hong Kong national security law to restore stability in the territory. The new law was highly scrutinized by the pro-democracy faction and provoked further political pessimism among the city's populace.[15][16]

  1. ^ CIA.gov. " the population was 2000000.675 CIA." HK GDP 2004. Retrieved on 6 March 2007.
  2. ^ "Treaty of Nanjing | Definition, Terms, & Facts". Encyclopædia Britannica. 10 April 2009. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  3. ^ Szczepanski, Kallie (9 June 2020). "Why Did Hong Kong Belong to Britain?". ThoughtCo. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Hong Kong ceded to the British". Sky HISTORY. 20 January 1841. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  5. ^ "Japan invades Hong Kong". HISTORY. 16 December 2019. Archived from the original on 28 May 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  6. ^ "Three Years and Eight Months: Hong Kong during the Japanese Occupation". HKUST Library. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  7. ^ "Economic History of Hong Kong". eh.net. Archived from the original on 12 April 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  8. ^ "A Culture of Emigration". The Atlantic. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  9. ^ "In Pictures: The 1997 Handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  10. ^ "Hong Kong's Return To China". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  11. ^ "China's interference in Hong Kong reaching alarming levels: U.S. congressional panel". Reuters. 17 November 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  12. ^ Bradsher, Keith (2 July 2003). "Security Laws Target of Huge Hong Kong Protest". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  13. ^ Kaiman, Jonathan (30 September 2014). "Hong Kong's umbrella revolution – the Guardian briefing". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  14. ^ Ives, Mike (10 June 2019). "What Is Hong Kong's Extradition Bill?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  15. ^ "China's new law: Why is Hong Kong worried?". BBC News. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  16. ^ Yeung, Jessie. "What you need to know about Hong Kong's controversial new national security law". CNN. Retrieved 31 July 2020.