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Reuters
Reuters
Politics
James Pomfret

Explainer-Hong Kong's rocky political road since the 1997 handover

Hong Kong China Britain John Lee Police National Security
FILE PHOTO: Rows of Chinese and Hong Kong flags decorate a residential building, ahead of the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China from Britain, in Hong Kong, China June 26, 2022. REUTERS/Lam Yik

Hong Kong on July 1 will mark its 25th anniversary under Chinese rule. The financial hub returned to China from Britain in 1997, with promises of wide-ranging freedoms and autonomy under "one country, two systems" governance.

Critics, including some Western governments, say China has reneged on those promises in recent years under a sweeping national security law. Authorities in Hong Kong and China reject those claims.

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