The Legal Status of the Three Unequal Treaties concerning Hong Kong by the Sino-British Negotiations in the 1980s

Date & Time: November 19, 2026 (Thursday) 11:30-12:30

Venue: Room 901, 9/F Cheng Yu Tung Tower, The University of Hong Kong

Language: English

(In-person Event)  

Abstract:

The three parts of Hong Kong were ceded or leased to Britain by Qing China through three separate treaties. During her visit to China in 1982, Margaret Thatcher insisted on the continued validity of these treaties and, consequently, the legitimacy of British rule over Hong Kong. The People’s Republic of China, by contrast, maintained that those treaties were unequal treaties and that China had never recognized them.

Nevertheless, the concept of unequal treaties has long been contested and, in particular, dismissed by many Western states and international legal scholars. Although an extensive body of literature has examined Hong Kong’s return to China, relatively little scholarly attention has been devoted to the normative status of the three treaties during the Sino-British negotiations of the 1980s.

Drawing on both historical materials and international legal doctrine, this talk will explore the competing legal arguments advanced by Britain and China concerning the validity and legitimacy of the three treaties, as well as the broader implications of these arguments for the transfer of Hong Kong.

Speaker:

Dongyu Sun

PhD Candidate, Australian National University

Former Humboldt Fellow, Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law

Dongyu Sun commenced his PhD studies at the Australian National University in September 2024 and is currently a visiting researcher at HKU Faculty of Law. His doctoral research examines the legal history of Hong Kong, focusing particularly on the issues of leased territories, unequal treaties, self-determination, and China’s current sovereignty over Hong Kong. Dongyu was previously a Humboldt Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg, Germany, and an Environmental Mission Scholar sponsored by Vermont Law School. He also has professional experience as a case manager at a major Chinese arbitration institution and as a civil servant in a Chinese local government.

Chair:

Professor Albert H.Y. Chen, Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong

This is an in-person event. Prior registration is required. Please click here to register. For inquiries, please email Louisa at .

This event is organized by the Philip K. H. Wong Centre for Chinese Law (CCL), Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong. To watch recordings of past CCL events, please subscribe to our YouTube channel: The Centre for Chinese Law – YouTube. To keep up with our activities, follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/CCLHKU.

Philip K.H. Wong Centre for Chinese Law at The University of Hong Kong promotes legal scholarship with the aim to develop a deeper understanding of China and facilitate dialogue between East and West. For more information, visit: Philip K.H. Wong Centre for Chinese Law