According to several treaties between China and Britain, Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997. This was after 156 years of British rule that brought security and much prosperity to the territory. British rule spared Hong Kong from all the civil wars and general mayhem taking place in China. During World War II, Hong Kong was occupied by Japanese troops from late 1941 to August 1945. After the war Hong Kong quickly recovered economically. Since Hong Kong returned to Chinese control in 1997, the area has become a special economic zone that, despite some meddling by corrupt Chinese officials, has prospered. China expects that the same pattern would occur if they got Vladivostok back.