| |
Hong Kong has been part of the territory of China since ancient
times; it was occupied by Britain after the Opium War in 1840. On
19 December 1984, the Chinese and British Governments signed the
Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong, affirming that the
Government of the People's Republic of China will resume the exercise
of sovereignty over Hong Kong with effect from 1 July 1997, thus
fulfilling the long-cherished common aspiration of the Chinese people
for the recovery of Hong Kong.
Upholding national unity and territorial integrity, maintaining
the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, and taking account of
its history and realities, the People's Republic of China has decided
that upon China's resumption of the exercise of sovereignty over
Hong Kong, a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will be established
in accordance with the provisions of Article 31 of the Constitution
of the People's Republic of China, and that under the principle
of "one country, two systems", the socialist system and
policies will not be practised in Hong Kong. The basic policies
of the People's Republic of China regarding Hong Kong have been
elaborated by the Chinese Government in the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
In accordance with the Constitution of the People's Republic of
China, the National People's Congress hereby enacts the Basic Law
of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic
of China, prescribing the systems to be practised in the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region, in order to ensure the implementation
of the basic policies of the People's Republic of China regarding
Hong Kong.
Previous Page | Index
| Next Page |
