Hong Kong

Hong Kong is an autonomous administrative region of China. The former British colony was returned in 1997, and since then it has had a special status and governance. It is believed that, under local laws, citizens of Hong Kong have more rights and protections than residents of mainland China.

In 2019–2020, Hong Kong was shaken by mass protests over the adoption of an extradition law. They began after a Hong Kong resident killed his 20-year-old pregnant girlfriend in Taiwan. Because there is no extradition treaty between Taiwan and Hong Kong, the Hong Kong authorities did not hand him over at Taiwan's request.

After the mass protests, in June 2020 Beijing introduced a national security law. Most activists ended up either in exile or in prison.