sentences:  Before the People's Republic of China (PRC) assumed sovereignty over the former British crown colony of Hong Kong in 1997, the committee was named Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong and participated in 12 games (all summer) under the name just "Hong Kong".After 1997, Hong Kong became a special territory as a result of the earlier 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, which stipulates that, albeit being part of China, it enjoys a highly autonomous status.The Basic Law, its constitution, guarantees the territory's right to join international organisations and events independently (such as the Olympic games) that are not restricted to sovereign states, under the new name "Hong Kong, China".