When did Hong Kong leave the UK?
At midnight on July 1, 1997, Hong Kong was peaceably handed over to China in a ceremony attended by numerous international dignitaries, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Prince Charles, Chinese President Jiang Zemin, and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
When did the UK give Hong Kong back to China?
1997
The U.K. government said China is in a “state of ongoing non-compliance” with the Sino-British Joint Declaration, a treaty signed by the two countries that guarantees Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms after the city was handed back to Beijing in 1997.
Why didn’t Britain offer Hong Kong citizens citizenship?
But the decision was also fuelled by the legacy of British control there. This kind of citizenship was not offered, despite some calls to do so, at the time when Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997. Remember that handover took place on the basis that its partial democracy and market economy would be respected.
What is the UK’s immigration policy for Hong Kong?
The British government later reformed the law, resulting in the British Nationality Act 1981. These acts shaped an increasingly restrictive immigration policy into the UK for Hong Kong residents even before the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984.
What would happen to British citizens living in Hong Kong after handover?
After the handover to China, they would not be accepted as inherently being citizens of the People’s Republic. They would be left effectively stateless – they would have British nationality and permanent residency and right of abode in Hong Kong, but no right of abode in the UK, nor a right to claim Chinese nationality.
Is a Hong Kong resident a Chinese citizen after 1 July 1997?
Therefore, a Hong Kong resident who had acquired non-Chinese citizenship would still be recognised as a Chinese citizen after 1 July 1997 (effectively becoming a dual national )]