Sino-British joint declaration

Question 1

What is it?

Answer 1

It is an agreement signed by Britain and China in 1984 to settle the future of Hong Kong.

The two governments agreed China would reassume control of Hong Kong, which was occupied by Britain after the Opium War in 1840, from July 1, 1997.

The declaration was later deposited with the United
Nations.

What are the main points of the joint declaration?

It states that China’s basic policies regarding Hong Kong which “will remain unchanged for 50 years”, including the promise that the city would retain a high degree of autonomy.

The issue was exacerbated in June 2014 when the State Council released a white paper stating that Beijing had “comprehensive jurisdiction” over Hong Kong.

But, the Britain argues the agreement remained in effect and was a legally binding agreement that must be honoured.