When the U.K.'s 99-year lease on this crown colony ended, China retook control on July 1, 1997
The finite nature of the 99-year lease did 
not hinder Hong Kong's... [DOC] [TLE] Hong Kong's Return To China: Year In Review 1997 | Hong Kong ... [PAR] At midnight on June 30/July 1, 1997, the crown colony of Hong Kong (see) 
officially reverted to Chinese sovereignty, ending 156 years of British rule.