The people of Hong Kong have a claim to the land of Hong Kong. The people of I don't know, Shanghai have a claim to the land of Shanghai. The People's Republic of China doesn't even "by all rights" have a claim to the mainland. They do have de facto control. They have de jure control in the broad international view. The don't "by all rights" have control over anything, not over Taiwan, not over Hong Kong, not over Shanghai or Beijing. What does "by all rights" even mean?
That said, the US doesn't have "by all rights" have control over its entire territory either (native Americans, Hawaii, etc., etc.), but Hong Kong is meant to be in a special situation until at least 2047 by international treaty and beyond that by the people who reside there having a claim to the land they reside on and have since well before the founding of the PRC.
Huh?
The people of Hong Kong have a claim to the land of Hong Kong. The people of I don't know, Shanghai have a claim to the land of Shanghai. The People's Republic of China doesn't even "by all rights" have a claim to the mainland. They do have de facto control. They have de jure control in the broad international view. The don't "by all rights" have control over anything, not over Taiwan, not over Hong Kong, not over Shanghai or Beijing. What does "by all rights" even mean?
That said, the US doesn't have "by all rights" have control over its entire territory either (native Americans, Hawaii, etc., etc.), but Hong Kong is meant to be in a special situation until at least 2047 by international treaty and beyond that by the people who reside there having a claim to the land they reside on and have since well before the founding of the PRC.