The Democratic Party was founded in 1994, near the end of British colonial rule, when Hong Kong's leading liberal groups merged.

"We have officially announced the disbandment and dismissal," the Democratic Party's leader Lo Kin-hei told a news conference. "This process has been completed at the time of the special committee meeting just now."

"As a group, I believe we can conclude that the Democratic Party's operation will end today," said Lo, chair of the party that was once the city's stalwart opposition force.

"We are deeply grateful to all the citizens who have walked with the Democratic Party for the past 30 years," he added.

The party's main focus had been determining how the city would eventually elect its own leader and lawmakers through universal suffrage.

"I don't understand why the Democratic Party would end up like this," former party leader Emily Lau said to reporters when leaving the meeting on Sunday.

Beijing tightened its grip on the Chinese finance hub after massive and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019.

After the imposition of the national security law, the city's political opposition dwindled, with many democracy campaigners jailed or overseas.