Hong Kong Profile – BBC Information

The previous British colony turned a particular administrative area of China in 1997, when Britain's 99-year lease of the New Territories, north of Hong Kong Island, expired.

Hong Kong is ruled beneath the precept of “one nation, two methods”, beneath which China has agreed to grant the area a excessive diploma of autonomy and keep its financial and social methods for 50 years from the date of handover.

However Beijing can veto modifications to the political system, and pro-democracy forces are annoyed by what they see because the sluggish tempo of political reform.

Chief Govt Officer: John Lee Ka-chiu

As the one candidate endorsed by China within the 2022 Hong Kong Chief Govt election, John Lee took workplace in July 2022.

Initially a police officer, Lee served as deputy commissioner of the Hong Kong Police Drive from 2010 to 2012. Lee is named a hard-liner in opposition to the pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong, enjoying a key position in cracking down on the opposition.

His election has been seen as a transfer by Beijing to additional combine Hong Kong with the mainland.

Hong Kong is residence to a lot of Asia's greatest media gamers. It has a big movie trade and is a middle for broadcasting and publishing.

The territory has maintained its dynamic editorial media, not like the remainder of China. However media watchdogs have famous issues about rising affect on the continent.

Some key dates in Hong Kong historical past:

214 BC – The Qin Dynasty incorporates Hong Kong into China.

1513 AD – Portuguese explorer Jorge Álvares is the earliest European customer. Portuguese merchants settled earlier than being pushed out after navy clashes within the 1520s.

c. 1549 – Portuguese-Chinese language commerce relations have been restored. Portugal obtains a everlasting lease for Macau in 1557.

1757 – Qing authorities set up the Canton System to manage international commerce extra strictly. To pay for Chinese language items resembling tea, silk and porcelain, British retailers bought massive portions of Indian opium to China. Confronted with a drug disaster, Qing officers take more and more aggressive motion to cease the opium commerce.

1839 – China rejects proposals to legalize and tax opium, destroys opium shares and bans international commerce, prompting a British navy response and the First Opium Warfare.

1841 – China is defeated and offers up the island of Hong Kong to Britain. Combating continued for an additional 12 months earlier than the 1842 Treaty of Nanking.

1856-60 – The Second Opium Warfare sees China cede extra territory to Britain within the Hong Kong space.

1898 – China leases the New Territories together with 235 islands to Britain for 99 years.

1941-45 – Japan occupies Hong Kong throughout World Warfare II.

1950 – Hong Kong enjoys financial revival based mostly on mild industries resembling textiles.

1956 – Double Ten riots as a consequence of escalating provocations between nationalist and communist teams in Kowloon, see 59 killed.

1967 – Giant-scale anti-government riots impressed partially by earlier profitable anti-colonial demonstrations in Portuguese Macau. Greater than 50 folks have been killed.

1970 – Hong Kong has been established as an “Asian Tiger” – one of many financial powerhouses of the area – with a thriving financial system based mostly on high-tech industries.

1997 – Hong Kong has been handed over to Chinese language authorities after greater than 150 years of British management.

2009 – Tens of 1000’s of individuals attend a vigil in Hong Kong on the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Sq. bloodbath. The territory is the one a part of China to mark the anniversary.

2014 – Professional-democracy demonstrators occupy town middle for weeks in protest on the Chinese language authorities's resolution to restrict voter alternative in Hong Kong's 2017 management election. Greater than 100,000 folks took to the streets on the peak of the protests of Occupy Central.

2017 – Chinese language President Xi Jinping visits Hong Kong to swear in Chief Govt Carrie Lam and makes use of his go to to warn in opposition to any makes an attempt to undermine China's affect over the particular administrative area.

2019 – Hong Kong sees anti-government and pro-democracy protests, together with violent clashes with police, in opposition to a proposal to permit extradition to the Chinese language territory.

2021 – Beijing modifications Hong Kong's electoral system, lowering the variety of instantly elected seats within the Legislative Council and requiring all candidates to be vetted and accepted by a committee appointed by Beijing.