Core Historical Revisit 

Globally, the Cold War ended and globalisation deepened. Europe integrated further through the EU, while the UK debated its role. In Asia, the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis struck regional economies. For Hong Kong, the decade was dominated by the 1997 handover to China under “one country, two systems”.  Many who had emigrated kept business ties and some returned after the transition proved economically smooth, though politics remained closely watched. The crisis tested Hong Kong’s new government but also reinforced its status as a financial hub. Emigration slowed after 1997 but never fully reversed, leaving large overseas communities.