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The British takeover
Part of the Chinese territory, Hong Kong Island was officially ceded to the British Empire by China in 1842 as China lost during the First Opium War. After defeating China again during the Second Opium War in 1860, the British Empire acquired Kowloon Peninsula, an annexed part of Hong Kong. In 1898 it leased the New Territory (which is also an annex of Hong Kong) from China. -
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British rule
Between 1842 and 1997, Hong Kong was part of the British Colony. -
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During the Cold War
As the communist regime came to power in 1949 after the Chinese Civil War, some Chinese who were afraid of communism fled to Hong Kong, boosting the population of the city from around 500,000 to over two million. Half a million more escaped to Hong Kong between 1950 to 1980 to avoid mass famine and nationwide political purges. The communist had been manipulating its supporters in Hong Kong to create chaos in the city, as in what happened during the 1967 leftist riot. -
The leftist riot
In 1967, a demonstration against the British Hong Kong authorities was started by communist sympathizers under China's instigation. It soon turned into a large-scale riot in which bombings were involved. Over 800 were killed and injured. The series of incidents caused fear for the Chinese communist regime among Hongkongers. This resulted in the first mass migration in Hong Kong. -
The Chinese takeover
In 1984 the British and the Chinese government signed a joint declaration, which stipulated Hong Kong's return to China in 1997, after nearly 150 years of British rule. Due to the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989 in Beijing, Hongkongers' fear for communism intensified. To avoid the then upcoming takeover by China in 1997, Many migrated to Canada, Australia, and other Commonwealth countries and territories in the 1990s. -
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Chinese control
In 1997, Hong Kong was officially handed over by the UK to China. The Chinese regime managed to maintain a firm control over the city. -
Protest against National Security Bill
After taking back control over Hong Kong, Beijing attempted to implement National Security BIll 2003, which prohibits any act of "treason" and "subversion" against the Chinese central government in Hong Kong. Realizing that this could jeopardize the rights and freedom of Hongkongers, around 500,000 people took to the street. -
The Umbrella Movement
Large-scale sit-ins in Hong Kong’s business districts, the Umbrella Movement lasted 79 days in September and December 2014. The movement emerged out of opposition to Beijing’s stringent framework for implemental universal suffrage in Hong Kong. The election of the city’s leader would consist of candidates pre-vetted by a 1,200-member panel that would be mostly Beijing supporters. The movement failed as leaders were arrested and none of the demands for universal suffrage were met. -
Anti-Extradition Bill movement
The current protests was the largest throughout Hong Kong's history. It was triggered by the Hong Kong government’s decision to push on the extradition agreement between the Hong Kong and mainland China. On June 16 up to two million citizens took to the streets to protest against the amendment bill, which they believe would destroy the firewall between Hong Kong and the mainland, where fair trials are not guaranteed. The battlefield in Hong Kong is still raging as it has gotten more violent.
