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
Postage stamps and postal history of Hong Kong only British soldiers in Hong Kong could use British stamps while other local residents did not have any. Hong Kong has issued a variety of stamps since 1862. Hong Kong formerly produced postage stamps with the name "Hong Kong", with the face of the reigning monarchs of the United Kingdom, or with the royal symbols (e.g. "E.R."). After the Hong Kong's transfer of sovereignty to China, all further issues bore the name "Hong Kong, China"; British Hong Kong postage stamps were no longer valid for the prepayment of postage, nor did the Post Office offer to repurchase them. publication) Postage