The British handed over Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China (PRC) at midnight on July 1, 1997. The transfer was based on the Sino-British Joint Declaration signed in 1984 by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang. Under the agreement, China pledged that Hong Kong would maintain its capitalist economic system and high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years (until 2047) as a Special Administrative Region (SAR). It was the end of an era. | Lengdung Tungch

14K views · 632 reactions | On this day in 1997, Prince Charles delivered a historic speech during a ceremony in Hong Kong marking the transfer of sovereignty over the territory from the United Kingdom to China. The lowering of the Union flag symbolically ended more than 150 year of British rule. Along with the Prince of Wales, also attending were Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten. � #HongKong #PrinceCharles #China | The Royal Family Channel | Facebook