Sir Sze-yuen Chung is not only a veteran politician in Hong Kong, but an important figure in the development of Hong Kong in the past four decades. During that long period, he has played a significant role in Hong Kong's political, economic, educational, and social development, first when it was a British colony and then a Special Administrative Region of China. Indeed he is probably the only native son of Hong Kong who was closely and actively involved in the entire process of transferring Hong Kong's sovereignty back to China.</P>

His memoirs record his personal experiences in Hong Kong's political scene in the two decades between 1979 and 1999 and his role in the Sino-British negotiations and the subsequent twelve and a half years of transition from British colonial rule to the first Chinese Special Administrative Region having a high-degree of autonomy and practicing "One Country Two Systems". Under his outstanding leadership, he helped to bring the Sino-British negotiation on Hong Kong's political future to a successful conclusion. Then with his assistance and advice, Hong Kong was able to achieve a smooth and peaceful transition on 1 July 1997.</P>

This book is a valuable source of information on this important period in the history of Hong Kong. Some of the information has not been published before. It will be of interest to all those who wish to know more on what had happened during these pivotal years, which have determined the future course of Hong Kong.</P>