One Country, Two Systems - China and Britain Discuss Hong Kong and Deng Xiaoping's Proposal of One Country, Two Systems

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, it has announced that it will not recognize Britain's three unequal treaties. In the late 1970s, as the 99-year lease term of Hong Kong approached, the Chinese government decided not to accept the British government's request to extend the lease term when it expired, and took back Hong Kong as scheduled in 1997. The negotiations between the Chinese and British governments on the Hong Kong issue were divided into two stages: the first stage lasted from Mrs. Thatcher's visit to China in September 1982 to June 1983, during which the two sides discussed issues related to Hong Kong's sovereignty and management rights after its return; the second stage lasted from July 1983 to September 1984, during which the two sides conducted 22 rounds of negotiations on specific issues. The entire negotiation process was tortuous and full of fierce confrontations and contests. "One country, two systems" is the abbreviation of "one country, two systems". It is a basic national policy proposed by the Communist Party of China to resolve the issue of the peaceful reunification of the motherland and Taiwan and the restoration of the exercise of China's sovereignty in Hong Kong and Macau. The concept of "one country, two systems" not only eliminates many obstacles in the Sino-British negotiation process and ensures Hong Kong's smooth return, but also ensures Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability.