Hong Kong

Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the other being Macau.

In 1842, Qing government ceded Hong Kong Island to the British after lost the First Opium War between China and Britain. British established a Crown Colony with the founding of Victoria City the following year. In 1860, after China's defeat in the Second Opium War, the Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutter's Island were ceded to Britain. In 1898, Britain obtained a 99-year lease of Lantau Island and the adjacent northern lands, which became known as the New Territories. Hong Kong became a crown colony of United Kingdom and transferred from a trading port in the 19^th century to a leading financial centre in 20 century.

Hong Kong’s sovereignty was transferred back to the People's Republic of China in 1997. Hong Kong operates with a high degree of autonomy until at least 2047, fifty years after the transfer. Under the policy of "one country, two systems", the Central People's Government is responsible for the territory's defense and foreign affairs, while Hong Kong maintains its own legal system, police force, monetary system, customs policy, immigration policy, and delegates to international organizations and events.