Handover of Hong Kong Handover of Hong Kong The transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong, commonly known as the handover of Hong Kong (or simply "the Handover", also "the Return" in mainland China) was the transition of control over the former British colony of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997. The returned territory comprised Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, which were respectively ceded to Britain in 1842 and 1860, as well as the New Territories, which were leased for 99 years from 1898. The transfer was arranged to coincide with the expiration
Hong Kong Observers Kong government to infiltrate pressure groups and monitor their activities. The greatest emphasis was placed on the Hong Kong Observers. Due to political pressure the committee ceased to exist in 1983. The group's main concern in 1980s was the Sino-British negotiation over the sovereignty of Hong Kong. They called for Hong Kong people to express their views and conducted an opinion poll on Hong Kong future. In 1983 before Beijing and London began negotiation over Hong Kong’s future, Anna Wu led a group of legal confrères to Beijing and met with the then Director of the Hong Kong and Macau