Reuters
The Chinese flag is raised by People's Liberation Army soldiers to signal Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty after 156 years of British rule, in Hong Kong, July 1, 1997.
Hong Kong will celebrate the 20 year anniversary of its reunification with China following British rule this weekend.The city has a seperate political and economic system under the "one country, two systems" constitutional principle, which has at times lead to pro-democracy protests during clashes with Beijing.
These historic images show 20 years of Hong Kong's fraught - and incredibly politicized - relationship with Mainland China.