Description
2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration in December 1984 which agreed the return of Hong Kong to China with effect from 1 July 1997. This panel re-examines the international political and economic dimensions of the Joint Declaration in the light of recently released archives and memoirs. The panel has three main objectives. Firstly, to analyse the 1984 Agreement itself and in particular chart the foreign policy strategies of the British and Chinese sides. Secondly, to assess which theories have the greatest explanatory power in understanding the foreign policy approaches of both governments (including primacy of domestic politics, foreign policy analysis, historical statecraft). Thirdly, to chart the broader significance of the Joint Declaration in respect of the EU and the way in which historical agreements are instrumentalised as a resource for policy makers.
