Hong Kong: eredità coloniale e ridefinizione dell’identità nel passaggio alla sovranità cinese

This paper examines key aspects of Hong Kong’s modern and contemporary history, focusing on the functioning of its administration under British colonial rule and the democratic reforms introduced by the last Governor, Chris Patten (1992–97). It analyses the governance framework established by the 1888 Letters Patent and Royal Instructions, centered on the Governor’s authority, and investigates how Patten’s reforms reshaped it in the run-up to the 1997 handover and the adoption of the Basic Law as Hong Kong’s constitution. The study also evaluates the agreements between London and Beijing regarding the transfer of sovereignty, exploring whether the Chinese Communist authorities “betrayed” the people of Hong Kong or whether the British perpetuated colonial policies toward the territory’s population. Methodologically, the research relies primarily on documents from the UK National Archives and Hong Kong sources, supplemented by recently published memoirs and diaries of key actors, including Patten.