Why go
The useful starting point is the relationship between colonial administration and the arrangements introduced at the handover. Understanding that sequence helps distinguish the origins of Hong Kong’s institutions from later political changes. Read the Basic Law as the constitutional framework introduced in 1997, while treating present electoral arrangements as a separate question.
The full story
Hong Kong’s civic institutions developed under British colonial administration before the transfer of sovereignty to China. The Legislative Council was established in 1843, and the administrative structure that followed placed considerable authority in the executive. That history matters because the handover did not begin with an entirely new set of institutions. The 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration set out the proposed arrangements for Hong Kong after 1997 under the principle known as “one country, two systems”. It described a high degree of autonomy except in defence and foreign affairs, alongside continuity in the economic system. The Basic Law came into effect on 1 July 1997 as Hong Kong’s constitutional document. These dated foundations explain the language surrounding the handover. They should be distinguished from claims about how political rights, elections or institutional powers operate today.