Hong Kong has been embroiled in mass protests for weeks after the local government attempted to push through a bill allowing extradition to mainland China. In the years since the handover, Beijing has been respectful of Hong Kong's economic power and unique way of life - particularly freedom of expression and legal independence. The demonstrators took the streets due to what they consider an attempt to undermine that way of life.

In the years after the handover, the share of people in Hong Kong identifying as Chinese increased, reaching 38.6 percent in 2008. Dissatisfaction with Beijing's policies towards Hong Kong has seen that share decline significantly in recent years and it stands at just 10.8 percent today, according to the most recent polling from Hong Kong University. Meanwhile the share of people identifying as Hongkongers has increased dramatically over the last decade, hitting 53 percent in 2019.