Hong Kong is an autonomous territory, and former British colony, in southeastern China. With a population of over seven million, it ranks as the world's fourth most densely populated sovereign state or territory.
Hong Kong became a British colony after the First Opium War (1839–42). In the early 1980s, negotiations between the United Kingdom and China resulted in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, which paved way for the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997. Since then it has become a special administrative region (SAR) with a high degree of autonomy – at least on paper. Here you can find an automatic compilation of all DW content referring to Hong Kong.