On July 1, China will resume sovereignty of Hong Kong after 156 years of British colonial rule.

"But Hong Kong's integration into the Pearl River delta actually seems to have slowed" since China resumed sovereignty in 1997.

The office, which is situated in a former palace compound, was opened after Iraq formally resumed sovereignty in June.

In 1814 Hamburg resumed independence and sovereignty as a city-state, and in the following year the senate deprived the Jews their legal equality.

Mr. Deng negotiated the deal under which China is to resume sovereignty of the British colony on July 1, 1997.

When Hanover resumed independence and sovereignty in 1813 its government deprived the Jews their legal equality.

It was occupied by Japan during the Pacific War, after which the British resumed control until 1997, when China resumed sovereignty.

Thailand was then allowed by the Japanese to resume sovereignty over several sultanates in northern Malaya, thus consolidating their occupation.

The countdown to July 1 - when China resumes sovereignty over Hong Kong - is becoming a national preoccupation.

Yet in the past year, China has proceeded clumsily and mostly in secret as it lays its plans to resume sovereignty.