In 1984, when the Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and the British prime minister began negotiating the delivery of Hong Kong, [China] was discovering ...

In 1984, when the Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and the British prime minister began negotiating the delivery of Hong Kong, [China] was discovering the mysteries of the market economy. [...] [Today], Hong Kong seems less essential than before: although two-thirds of foreign investments pass through there, its participation in the Chinese economy has fallen, going from 27% of China's GDP in 1997 to 3% today. (Martine Bulard. “Indignação em Hong Kong, bomba-relógio geopolítica”. Le monde diplomatique Brasil, September 2019.) The relations between mainland China and the city of Hong Kong have changed in a relatively short and recent historical period due to


A) the transformation of Chinese cities into market economy centers.
B) the uncompromising defense of the city's autonomy by the Hong Kong government.
C) the adoption of the single-party regime by the city of Hong Kong.
D) the adherence of Hong Kong's working class to the socialist projects of the Chinese government.
E) the democratization of the Chinese political structure inherited from the communist revolution.