ABSTRACT
After more than 150 years of British rule, Hong Kong has become a part of China since July 1997. The transition from a British colony to a Chinese special administrative region was not only a transfer of sovereignty, but also touched upon a very important issue of political transition generated by the Sino-British Joint Declaration signed in December 1984. Chinese government, whether under the rule of the Kuomintang (KMT) or the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has never failed to assert its sovereignty over Hong Kong and has claimed to be able to restore it when they think fit. The destiny of Hong Kong was finally fixed in 1984 when Britain agreed to return Hong Kong to China in 1997. Without the intense mobilization in society witnessed in the independence movements of other decolonizing colonies, Hong Kong has failed to create an integrated political force and a popular leadership to represent the people's views and interests.
