when did hong kong go back to china

Hong Kong was officially returned to China on July 1, 1997. This handover marked the end of 156 years of British colonial rule and the beginning of Hong Kong's status as a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China under the principle of "one country, two systems" for 50 years. The handover followed the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, which set the terms of the transfer and guaranteed Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy, except in defense and foreign affairs, maintaining its own legal and economic systems.