The Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed in 1984 and transferred control of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China from the 1st July 1997. This sets the scene for the establishment of the Special Administrative Region (SAR) in Hong Kong, which has been at the heart of the civil unrest in 2019-2020, culminating in the National Security Law on 30 June 2020. In the 25th anniversary year of the handover of Hong Kong, C. L. Lim uses British archival sources to re-examine the Joint Declaration, the negotiations that led up to it, and its resounding significance that continues to the present day. Beginning with Margaret Thatcher's preparations for her Beijing trip, the book takes a chronological approach and offers a valuable, single-volume history of the Joint Declaration. In light of tumultuous current events in Hong Kong, Lim provides a vital, clear explanation of the legal complexities that have underpinned the relationships between China, Hong Kong and Britain since 1979.
Treaty for a Lost City gives a timely, scholarly and thorough account of the constitutional history of Hong Kong from the time of the negotiations that led to the Joint Declaration of 1984 through to the present day with the enactment of the National Security Law of 2020.
Table of contents:
Preface
Acknowledgements
Table of Provisions in the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law of the Hong Kong S.A.R.
Part I - 1982–1997
Introduction to Part I
1 - Negotiations Commence
2 - The Joint Declaration
3 - Twilight of Colonial Rule, Democratic Reform, the Basic Law and Bill of Rights: 1984–1997
Part II - 1997–2014
Introduction to Part II
4 - The Court and the Canaries in a Storm
5 - Foreign Treaty Relations
Select 6 - Acts of State, Foreign Affairs, Defence
6 - Acts of State, Foreign Affairs, Defence7 - Demos
Part III - 2014–2021
Introduction to Part III
8 - Patriotism, Comprehensive Jurisdiction, Formal Allegiance: 2014–2017
9 - Fundamental Rights and the 2019 Extradition Bill
10 - The 2020 National Security Law
11 - Aftermath
Appendices
Appendix - Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the Question of Hong Kong
Annex I - Elaboration by the Government of the People’s Republic of China of its Basic Policies Regarding Hong Kong
Annex II - Sino-British Joint Liaison Group
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