Hong Kong independence a Hong Kong representative in the Sino-British negotiation was rejected by Beijing. In 1984, the British and Chinese governments signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration which stated that the sovereignty of Hong Kong should be transferred to the PRC on 1 July 1997, and Hong Kong should enjoy a "high degree of autonomy" under the "One Country, Two Systems" principle. From 1983 to 1997, Hong Kong saw an exodus of emigrants to overseas countries, especially in the wake of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, which more than a million Hongkongers showed up on the streets to support to student protesters in
Hong Kong People's Association Hong Kong People's Association The Hong Kong People's Association () was a middle-class and professional oriented political organisation formed on 18 November 1984. Along with the Association for Democracy and Justice, it was established in response to the signage of the Sino-British Joint Declaration and then British Foreign Secretary Geoffrey Howe's visit in April 1984. It was one of the many political groups formed during the Sino-British negotiations on the sovereignty of Hong Kong in the early 80s and demanded democratic reform during the transition period, the others being notably the Meeting Point and Hong Kong Affairs Society. It participated