Hong Kong to Adhere to "One Country, Two Systems"

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government will continue to implement the "one country, two systems" principle faithfully and maintain the rule of law and judicial independence in Hong Kong, a government statement said Wednesday.

In response to the U.S. State Department Report on Hong Kong, the Hong Kong SAR government said it has taken note of the U.S. report's overall positive assessment that Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy has been respected following its return to China in 1997.

"As observed in the report, Hong Kong has remained a free society and makes its own decisions as an international city in our own economic interests," the statement said.

"We play an active part in the World Trade Organization and other international forums such as APEC. We have a full range of bilateral agreements and understandings with other governments to cover areas such as air services, investment protection, mutual legal assistance and visa-free travel," it added.

On the issue of right of abode for persons born in the mainland to parents who are now Hong Kong residents, the Hong Kong SAR government statement said the power of final adjudication of the Court of Final Appeal has been fully respected.

"The interpretation of the Basic Law on right of abode by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress is entirely legal and constitutional. The interpretation was accepted by the Court of Final Appeal in December last year," the statement noted. The Hong Kong SAR government pledged to increase direct elections to the Legislative Council in accordance with the Basic Law.

"The Basic Law has laid down a 10-year timetable to enable us to consider the next step forward in the light of our political experience. The development must be in accordance with the principle of gradual and orderly progress and should be designed to be acceptable to different sectors of the community," it stressed.



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