Unfortunately, Great Britain found it necessary to honor the lease and its term for expiration. It may be argued that the termination of the lease could have reverted control back to the Chinese government in Taiwan, but the various legal impediments to doing so are also reinforced with the practical problem in which Hong Kong was militarily indefensible against an invasion by the Peoples Republic of China (PRC).
Hong Kong was ceded in perpetuity. It was the 99 year lease on the New Territories that ran out.
The British felt they couldn’t maintain Hong Kong without the water and resources from the leased territory.
It’s quite a raw deal for people from Hong Kong.
It’s great after 17 years they are still standing up for themselves.
honor a treaty that was not made with the communist Chinese government.
They should have turned it over to Taiwan!!