104-537: " One country, two systems " is a constitutional principle of the People's Republic of China (PRC) describing the governance of the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau . Deng Xiaoping developed the one country, two systems concept. This constitutional principle was formulated in the early 1980s during negotiations over Hong Kong between China and the United Kingdom . It provided that there would be only one China , but that each region would retain its own economic and administrative system. Under
208-595: A special administrative region (SAR) of China for 50 years. Set to expire in 2047, the current arrangement has permitted Hong Kong to function as its own entity under the name "Hong Kong, China" in many international settings (e.g. the WTO and the Olympics). During the drafting of the Basic Law, Deng stated that universal suffrage and Western political systems were not appropriate for Hong Kong. Deng also stated that if Hong Kong became
312-419: A "dual sense of identity": "Chineseness" and "Hongkongesness" and notably, this has created strong public activism by Hong Kong pre- and post-1997. However, the new curriculum includes "general civic education" and lessons meant to increase students' appreciation of China. This announcement led to 10 days of protests, with up to 120,000 protesters each day, due to concerns of Hong Kong losing autonomy. In response,
416-506: A HKNP member, or is found to provide aid to the party in any way, under the threat of being fined and jailed for up to two years. The definition of "providing aid" to the party and the two leaders were not made clear. Chan's lawyers wrote to the Department of Justice seeking an assurance that providing legal assistance to him would not be regarded as providing assistance to the HKNP, but that assurance
520-569: A base for anti-mainland China sentiment under the guise of democracy then China's central government should intervene. The Chinese renminbi is not legal tender in Hong Kong. Likewise, the Hong Kong dollar is not accepted in stores in mainland China. With this arrangement, a permit or special visa (Chinese: 簽注 ) is required when passing between the borders of Hong Kong and mainland China, and people in Hong Kong hold Hong Kong SAR passports rather than Chinese passports . The official languages are
624-400: A bauhinia, but with certain lines replaced by microlettering consisting of "HKSAR". All the inner pages have seasonal flowers at the side, and different " 華 " ("Chinese") characters in the centre. As well as being printed in red at the bottom of each page, the passport number is perforated through the top section of all the odd-numbered pages. At the bottom of each page is a gold outline of
728-632: A constitutional basis for China's status as a one-party state and formally rendering any competitive multi-party system unconstitutional. Xi "now has the distinction of being the first Chinese leader ever to have his theories enshrined in the constitution during his own lifetime." The leadership of the CCP is now constitutionally enshrined as the "defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics", and therefore it establishes one-party rule as an end-in-itself. Xi says: Party, government, military, civilian, and academic, north, south, east, west, and center,
832-531: A full understanding and implementation of the principle... then we have adequate reason to believe that 'One Country, Two Systems' will be implemented smoothly and in the long term, and it will not change after 2047." Additionally, in a June 2020 online webinar to campaign for the National Security Law , Zhang Xiaoming said that the National Security Law would ensure that the freedoms granted to
936-538: A major factor besides the history of the former colony that has made Hong Kong and mainland China distinct from each other, as Cantonese and English are the most widely used languages in Hong Kong, while Mandarin is the official language of mainland China. The central government in Beijing maintains control over Hong Kong's foreign affairs as well as the legal interpretation of the Basic Law. The latter has led democracy advocates and some Hong Kong residents to argue that
1040-793: A new anti-graft agency, extending the powers of the CCP's graft watchdog, adding Hu Jintao's Scientific Outlook on Development and Xi Jinping Thought to the Preamble of the Constitution, and removing term limits for both the President and Vice President, enabling Xi Jinping to remain president indefinitely. Xi is also the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party , the de facto top position in CCP ruling China without term limit. The concept of ecological civilization building
1144-534: A party decision ratified by the National People's Congress. The right to strike was also dropped from the 1982 Constitution. The widespread expression of the four big rights during the student protests of late 1986 elicited the regime's strong censure because of their illegality. The official response cited Article 53 of the 1982 Constitution, which states that citizens must abide by the law and observe labor discipline and public order. Besides being illegal, practicing
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#17329175835081248-423: A photograph of the holder. If the passport is issued through a Chinese foreign mission, the embassy/consulate will make an endorsement in the observations stating so. The explanatory notes on the passport are placed on the second last page of the passport, and read as follows- The last page of the passport has a section to be filled in by the holder with contact information in the event of an emergency, as well as
1352-461: A silent march. Polls showed the events had depressed the public's confidence in the government, despite the fact that most were in favour of the government's stance over that of the court's. On 10 June 2014, China's central government released a white paper describing its view of comprehensive jurisdiction over Hong Kong. The white paper stated that Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy is not an inherent power, but rather one which exists solely through
1456-763: Is a passport issued only to permanent residents of Hong Kong who also hold Chinese citizenship . In accordance with the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, since the handover in 1997, the passport has been issued by the Immigration Department of the Government of Hong Kong under the authorisation of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China . As
1560-483: Is another example of Hong Kong losing its autonomy. There has been criticism that this law would mean that suspects would be susceptible to many practices under the Chinese judicial system that is not present in the Hong Kong judicial system: arbitrary detention, unfair trial and torture. Michael DeGolyer, a researcher at Baptist University of Hong Kong, told Al Jazeera that Hong Kong people fear lack of judicial independence as
1664-448: Is based on Portuguese civil law), legislative system , and people's rights and freedom for 50 years, as a special administrative region (SAR) of China. Set to expire in 2049, the agreement has permitted Macau to function as its own entity in many international settings (e.g. WTO ) rather than as a part of China. As Macau has its own currency, the Chinese renminbi is not legal tender in Macau;
1768-536: Is found below the crest. Above are the words Hong Kong Special Administrative Region People's Republic of China , also in Chinese and English. It is worth noting that the characters 中華人民共和國 (People's Republic of China) are bigger than the characters 香港特別行政區 (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) on the passport cover. In English, however, "HONG KONG" is bigger than the phrase "SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA" for easy distinction by foreign immigration officials. The passport note appeared on
1872-533: Is now bypassing the HKSAR to directly legislate. A National People's Congress official reported as saying it was exercising "constitutional power" to create a new legal framework and enforcement mechanism to guarantee national security in Hong Kong. On 30 June 2020, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) passed the national security law for Hong Kong unanimously and listed it under Annex III of
1976-447: Is printed in black and white, with the holder's Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card number printed vertically on the right-hand side of the portrait photograph. The passport is also machine readable, designed for immigration control points equipped with passport scanners. Details which are printed include: The code "CHN" (China) is used for both issuing state and nationality. This is the same as PRC passport and Macau SAR passport. (During
2080-550: Is the fourth constitution in PRC history, superseding the 1954 constitution , the 1975 constitution , and the 1978 constitution . The first Constitution of the People's Republic of China was declared in 1954. The current Constitution was declared in 1982, after two intervening versions enacted in 1975 and 1978. There were significant differences between each of these versions, and the 1982 Constitution has subsequently been amended five times. The 1982 Constitution expunges almost all of
2184-399: Is the passport number; in the right hand circle is the Hong Kong regional flag (the red and white reverse gradually as the viewing angle is changed). The Hong Kong permanent identity card number is printed at the bottom right hand side of the portrait photograph as a trapezium shape which gradually widens towards the bottom. The three waves at the bottom of the portrait photograph, as well as
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#17329175835082288-497: Is unconstitutional. However, in one case, after media outcry over the death of Sun Zhigang the State Council was forced to rescind regulations allowing police to detain persons without residency permits after the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) made it clear that it would rule such regulations unconstitutional. The Open Constitution Initiative was an organization consisting of lawyers and academics in
2392-531: The "831 decision" of the NPCSC . The participants demanded freedom of choice, electoral freedom, democracy and, in particular, they wanted to participate in the elections of the head of the administration of Hong Kong . The name " umbrella movement " originated because the students protected themselves with umbrellas from the pepper spray of the police. Thus, umbrellas became the symbol of this movement. In 2016, Joshua Wong , Alex Chow and Nathan Law , student leaders of
2496-477: The British Nationality Selection Scheme itself does not affect the eligibility for a HKSAR passport. Nor does the holding of any foreign passport itself affect the eligibility for a HKSAR passport, provided that one remains a PRC citizen. Under Hong Kong Basic Law , the Government of Hong Kong is responsible for immigration control in the territory. The Hong Kong SAR passport is issued by
2600-502: The Great Wall of China are the following words: 中華人民共和國外交部請各國軍政機關對持照人予以通行的便利和必要的協助 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China requests all civil and military authorities of foreign countries to allow the bearer of this passport to pass freely and afford assistance in case of need. On the reverse of the polycarbonate identification page insert is a blue image with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region emblem in
2704-426: The Great Wall of China . The seasonal flower is printed across the middle of even-numbered and odd-numbered pages. When two pages are rolled up such that they meet each other, the seasonal flower on the right margin of odd-numbered page matches up with the flower on the left margin of the even-numbered page (e.g. pages 11 and 14), forming a complete bunch of flowers. The observations page, located on page 1, contains
2808-530: The Immigration Department of Hong Kong under the authorisation of the Central People's Government (or the State Council). Its design is distinct from other types of People's Republic of China passports and the holders enjoy visa-free entry to more countries than other PRC passports. Starting from 1 January 2003, the second version of the passport was introduced with enhanced security features. The passport
2912-646: The International Civil Aviation Organization . The new ePassport featured in the 2008 Stockholm Challenge Event and was a finalist for the Stockholm Challenge Award in the Public Administration category. The Hong Kong SAR ePassport design was praised on account of the "multiple state-of-the-art technologies [which] are seamlessly integrated in the sophisticated Electronic Passport System (e-Passport System)".[20] The cover of
3016-810: The Portuguese civil law system . In Hong Kong, the system has been implemented through the Basic Law of Hong Kong, which serves as the "mini-constitution" of the region, and consistent with the Sino-British Joint Declaration . Similar arrangements are in place with Macau. Under the respective basic laws, the SARs have a high degree of autonomy and enjoy executive, legislative and independent judicial power, including that of final adjudication. They formulate their own monetary and financial policies, maintain their own currencies, formulate their own policies on education, culture, sports, social welfare system, etc. within
3120-472: The constitutional document of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, reads: The socialist system and policies shall not be practiced in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the previous capitalist system and way of life shall remain unchanged for 50 years. The establishment of these regions, called "special administrative regions" (SARs), is authorised by Article 31 of the Constitution of
3224-545: The handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China. PRC citizens who have right of abode in the HKSAR and who hold Hong Kong permanent resident identity cards, whether or not they are holders of British National (Overseas) passport or Hong Kong Certificate of Identity or other travel documents, are eligible to apply for the Hong Kong SAR passport. Acquisition of British citizenship in
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3328-518: The judiciary and courts of final appeal (last resort) , immigration and customs, public finance , currencies and extradition . The SARs are also exempt from mainland laws mandating the use of simplified characters in publishing and Mandarin in public education and most broadcasting. The diplomatic relations and military defence of the two SARs however, is the responsibility of the Central People's Government in Beijing. Hong Kong continues using English common law while Macau continues using
3432-477: The press , of assembly , of association, of procession, and of demonstration." In the 1978 constitution, these rights were guaranteed, but so were the right to strike and the "four big rights", often called the "four bigs": to speak out freely, air views fully, hold great debates, and write big-character posters . In February 1980, following the Democracy Wall period, the four bigs were abolished in response to
3536-401: The "Issuing authority" section of the personal data page. Since the issuing of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport commenced on 1 July 1997 following the handover of Hong Kong, the passport has undergone three different changes, each with security enhancements. In February 2007, the first ePassport was introduced. The design conforms with the document design recommendations of
3640-652: The 1982 Constitution. Prior to 1982 there were no term limits on key leadership posts. Deng imposed a two-term limit (10 years total) on all but the chair of the Central Military Commission . Much of the PRC Constitution is modeled after the 1936 Constitution of the Soviet Union , but there are some significant differences. For example, while the Soviet constitution contains an explicit right of secession ,
3744-527: The Basic Law and the one country, two systems principle. It was later confirmed that they are under detention in mainland China although most had reappeared in Hong Kong and cancelled their missing persons' reports with the police. On 16 June 2016, shortly after he returned to Hong Kong, Lam Wing-kee gave a long press conference in which he detailed the circumstances surrounding his eight-month detention, and describing how his confession and those of his associates had been scripted and stage-managed. Lam implicated
3848-407: The Basic Law does not have a clear timetable for when universal suffrage is to be achieved, ultimately stating that a full vote by the populace and universal suffrage must be reached before the end of the 50-year transition according to Article 45. In the year after the handover, surveys showed high levels of satisfaction with Beijing's hands-off relationship with the former colony. The year before,
3952-597: The Basic Law, bypassing Hong Kong approval. The Hong Kong Bar Association (HKBA) disputed the constitutionality of enacting the law through inclusion in Annex III of the Basic Law in May 2020. Constitution of China The Constitution of the People's Republic of China is the supreme law of the People's Republic of China . It was adopted by the 5th National People's Congress on December 4, 1982, with five subsequent revisions . It
4056-450: The British colonial era, a Hong Kong British Dependent Territories Citizen passport used "HKG" as the code of the issuing state and "GBD" as the nationality code.) Instead of printing the holder's signature on the identification/observation pages, space is reserved on the last page of the passport below the emergency contact information for the holder to complete his/her signature. Enveloping
4160-495: The Chinese constitution are of great importance to the development of China [...] We will make serious efforts to carry them out in practice." The Constitution was amended on 11 March 2018, with 2,958 votes in favor, two against, and three abstentions. It includes an assortment of revisions that further cement the CCP's control and supremacy, including setting up the National Supervisory Commission, establishing
4264-510: The Chinese constitution explicitly forbids secession. While the Soviet constitution formally creates a federal system, the Chinese constitution formally creates a unitary multi-national state. The preamble describes China as "a country with one of the longest histories in the world. The people of all of China's nationalities have jointly created a culture of grandeur and have a glorious revolutionary tradition." The preamble dates this revolutionary history as beginning in 1840. Article 1 of
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4368-681: The Constitution describes China as "a socialist state under the people's democratic dictatorship " meaning that the system is based on an alliance of the working classes—in communist terminology, the workers and peasants—and is led by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the vanguard of the working class. Elsewhere, the Constitution provides for a renewed and vital role for the groups that make up that basic alliance—the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference , minor political parties, and people's organizations . Article 3 describes
4472-646: The Extradition Law, it was claimed that decisions would be made on a "case-by-case basis by the Chief Executive", in addition to Hong Kong courts making final decisions on extradition requests. For this reason, those accused of crimes based on politics or religion would not be extradited, and the new law would purely be "dealing with cross border crimes and transnational crimes" that carries a minimum seven-years sentence, as Carrie Lam stated in her speech on Monday 10 June. However, many Hong Kong people claim that this
4576-543: The Founding of the People's Republic of China . There had been five major revisions by the National People's Congress (NPC) to the 1982 Constitution. The 1982 State Constitution provided a legal basis for the broad changes in China's social and economic institutions and significantly revised government structure. The posts of President and Vice President (which were abolished in the 1975 and 1978 constitutions) are re-established in
4680-481: The Hong Kong National Party (HKNP) for sedition , on grounds of national security with respect to Chinese territorial integrity. The party and its convener Andy Chan submitted their case against being outlawed. Ten days later, in an unprecedented move, Secretary for Security John Lee on 24 September 2018 officially banned the party on national security grounds. The ban prohibited anyone who claims to be
4784-530: The Hong Kong SAR and British National (Overseas) passports . Hong Kong official travel documents prior to 1997 included the Hong Kong Certificate of Identity (CI), British Dependent Territories Citizen (BDTC), British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) and British Citizen (BC) passports. After 1997, BN(O) and BC passports are still valid but CIs and BDTC passports are no longer in use. The issuing of Hong Kong SAR passports began on 1 July 1997, following
4888-664: The Hong Kong government for the Central People's Government in Beijing is the Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing , and Macau government's office in Beijing is the Office of the Macau Special Administrative Region in Beijing . When the two regions have their own membership in international organisations (such as the WTO and the Paralympics ), both regions are mandated to use
4992-520: The Hong Kong government proposal and interference in China's internal affairs". Due to this negative response nationally and internationally, on 4 September 2019, Carrie Lam formally announced that the extradition bill would be withdrawn. Despite this, fear of the loss of Hong Kong autonomy remains. Protests continued until the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2020, and are predicted to continue once
5096-598: The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and international labour conventions which are implemented under Article 39 of the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance. Nonetheless, the governments of the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong both consider the principle to have been successfully implemented, quoting official reports of both the United Kingdom and
5200-493: The Party leads everything. Though technically the "supreme legal authority" and "fundamental law of the state", the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has a documented history of violating many of the constitution's provisions and censoring calls for greater adherence to it. The constitution stipulates that the National People's Congress (NPC) and its Standing Committee have the power to review whether laws or activities violate
5304-646: The People's Republic of China , which states that the state may establish SARs when necessary, and that the systems to be instituted in them shall be prescribed by law enacted by the National People's Congress in light of the specific conditions. The SARs of Hong Kong and Macau were formally established on the 1 July 1997 and the 20 December 1999 respectively, immediately after the People's Republic of China (PRC) assumed sovereignty over these respective regions. The two SARs of Hong Kong and Macau are responsible for their domestic affairs including, but not limited to,
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#17329175835085408-631: The People's Republic of China that advocated the rule of law and greater constitutional protections. It was shut down by the government on July 14, 2009. In early 2013, a movement developed among reformers in China based on enforcing the provisions of the constitution. In 2019, Ling Li of the University of Vienna and Wenzhang Zhou of Zhejiang University wrote that "the constitution appeals to [the CCP] because it does not provide solutions to fundamental issues of governance. Instead, such issues are kept out of
5512-593: The Provisional Legislative Council passed laws restricting the right of abode , leading to a case brought against the government, which ended in a loss for the government in the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal in 1999. The government then took its case to the National People's Congress. The legal establishment expressed its disapproval of the act Martin Lee described as "giving away" Hong Kong's autonomy with
5616-589: The United States. The Central People's Government in Beijing maintain relations with Hong Kong government through the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Hong Kong. For Macau, Beijing uses the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region in Macau. While the counterpart offices of
5720-474: The WTO, "Macao, China" is used in prose throughout and the only short name used is the acronym "MSAR". Several high level members of the government have expressed a potential extension of the system beyond 2047 for Hong Kong. In January 2020, Carrie Lam stated that "My view is this: as long as we persist with the "One Country, Two Systems" principle, push forward the implementation of 'One Country, Two Systems' and have
5824-464: The authorization of the central government. The white paper's release ignited criticism from many people in Hong Kong, who said that the Communist leadership was reneging on its pledges to abide by the "one country, two systems" policy that allows for a democratic, autonomous Hong Kong under Beijing's rule. During the 2014 Hong Kong protests , students demanded more political freedom in direct response to
5928-538: The biggest protest since the handover. Additionally, concern was displayed internationally: in Britain, Canada, the European Union and the United States. The US congressional commission argued in May 2019 that the extradition bill makes "Hong Kong more susceptible to China's political coercion and further erodes Hong Kong's autonomy". China's foreign ministry has rebutted these concerns by claiming them "attempts to politicise
6032-478: The central government would need to intervene in Hong Kong affairs from time-to-time. Among other occasions, Deng told Hong Kong delegates to Beijing in 1984 that certain interventions would be necessary, that when turmoil occurs in Hong Kong the central government should intervene, and that it would be necessary to see if interventions would be in the interests of Hong Kongers and Hong Kong's stability and prosperity. In 1988, Deng stated that Hong Kong's political system
6136-399: The centre. At the top is a pattern of the words " 中華人民共和國香港特別行政區 HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA". At the bottom is a picture of Victoria Harbour behind an outline of the Great Wall of China . The identification page appears on a polycarbonate insert between the front cover and the first page. Using laser engraving technology, the holder's photograph
6240-468: The chief executive at the time, CY Leung , chose to remove the idea of compulsory teaching, meaning that schools could freely decide if they would teach the subject. Despite CY Leung's decision, new chief executive Carrie Lam, who took over on 1 July 2017, has prioritised the topic of national education, by placing importance on "instilling patriotism in pupils". Furthermore, in August 2017, Christine Choi Yuk-Lin
6344-479: The citizens shall not be violated" ) and human rights ( "the State respects and protects human rights" ). The government argued that this represented progress for Chinese democracy and was a sign from the CCP that they recognized the need to adapt to the booming Chinese economy, which had created a growing middle class who wanted private property protections. Chinese leader Hu Jintao said that "These amendments of
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#17329175835086448-424: The city can be extended beyond 2047. However, neither Carrie Lam or Zhang Xiaoming have promised such an extension or laid out concrete steps or goals in order for it to happen. In October 2021, Carrie Lam reiterated that she believed the system would be extended beyond 2047, stating "Anybody would seriously ask: why do we have to change it? But of course, something more concrete will have to come out later on to give
6552-742: The constitution so that they can be addressed by the Party through other regulatory mechanisms outside of the constitutional realm." Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport 32 pages – HK$ 370 48 pages – HK$ 460 For children aged under 16: 32 pages – HK$ 185 48 pages – HK$ 230 High Court District Court Magistrates' Court Special courts and tribunals: Chief Executive Elections Legislative elections District council elections Consular missions in Hong Kong Hong Kong–China relations Hong Kong–Taiwan relations The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport ( Chinese : 香港特別行政區護照 )
6656-458: The constitution. Unlike many Western legal systems, courts do not have the power of judicial review and cannot invalidate a statute on the grounds that it violates the constitution. Since 2002, a special committee within the NPC called the Constitution and Law Committee has been responsible for constitutional review and enforcement. The committee has never explicitly ruled that a law or regulation
6760-424: The current judiciary system "is seen as guaranteeing a measure of protection from the government on the mainland". There has been a widespread response opposing the law: nationally and internationally. Criticism, petitions and protests have incorporated many parts of society, including doctors, lawyers, teachers and housewives. On 9 June there were an estimated one million people protesting across Hong Kong, making it
6864-534: The election law passed in March 2010. The 1982 constitution included the birth planning policy known as the one-child policy . The National People's Congress amended Articles 10 and 11 of the Constitution. Allow the emergence of the private sector and allow the transfer of the Land tenure. The Constitution was amended on 14 March 2004 to include guarantees regarding private property ( "legally obtained private property of
6968-404: The first ePassport was introduced. The cover of the new biometric passport remains essentially the same as that of previous versions. The biometric passport symbol appears at the bottom under the word "PASSPORT". However, the design of the inner pages has changed substantially. On the inner front cover of the passport, below the crest of the People's Republic of China and above a picture of
7072-462: The following words: Personal data was recorded on the inner rear cover of the passport, which was covered with a security laminate. Details included were: There was also a machine readable zone at the bottom of the identification page. Changes from the first version included optically variable ink used to print the letters "HKSAR" along the left hand side of the photo and the words "IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT, HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION" in
7176-485: The four big rights offered the possibility of straying into criticism of the CCP, which was in fact what appeared in student wall posters. In a new era that strove for political stability and economic development, party leaders considered the four big rights politically destabilizing. Chinese citizens are prohibited from forming new political parties. Among the political rights granted by the constitution, all Chinese citizens have rights to elect and be elected. According to
7280-487: The framework of the basic laws. As stipulated by the Basic Law, while the Central People's Government of the PRC is responsible for foreign affairs and defence in relation to the SARs, representatives of the government of the SARs may participate, as members of delegations of the PRC, in diplomatic negotiations that directly affect the Regions, and in other international organisations or conferences limited to states and affecting
7384-614: The involvement of the Central Investigation Team , which is under direct control of the highest level of the Beijing leadership. His revelations stunned Hong Kong and made headlines worldwide, prompting a flurry of counter-accusations and denials from mainland authorities and supporters. On 17 July 2018, the Hong Kong Police Force served the party convener a notice under the Societies Ordinance , seeking to ban
7488-452: The issue of independence supposedly crossed one of the "bottom lines" on national sovereignty. After a visit to Bangkok, Mallet was denied a working visa by the Hong Kong government. Mallet was subjected to a four-hour interrogation by immigration officers on his return from Thailand on Sunday 7 October before he was finally allowed to enter Hong Kong on a seven-day tourist visa. In the absence of an official explanation, Mallet's visa rejection
7592-615: The later promulgated election law, rural residents had only 1/4 vote power of townsmen (formerly 1/8). As Chinese citizens are categorized into rural resident and town resident, and the constitution has no stipulation of freedom of transference, those rural residents are restricted by the Hukou (registered permanent residence) and have fewer political, economic, and educational rights. This problem has largely been addressed with various and ongoing reforms of Hukou in 2007. The aforementioned ratio of vote power has been readjusted to 1:1 by an amendment to
7696-545: The name "Hong Kong, China" or "Macao, China" instead of "Hong Kong" or "Macau"/"Macao", as stipulated several times under Chapter VII ("External Affairs") of both regions' Basic Laws. For example, in Trade Policy Review documents between Hong Kong and the WTO, the documents use "Hong Kong, China" throughout even in prose. When a short name is used, it uses the acronym "HKC" and never "Hong Kong" or "HK" standalone. Similarly, in Trade Policy Review documents between Macau and
7800-470: The needed assurance about the continuation of the common law system, the monetary system, the professional recognition system, maybe some land leases." In March 2022, Xia Baolong , head of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office , said that after 2047, the "one country, two systems" could be extended by another 50 years, until 2097. In July 2022, Leung Chun-ying , former chief executive, said that he expected
7904-406: The new biometric passport remains essentially the same as that of previous versions, with the addition of the biometric passport logo at the bottom. In 2006, the Immigration Department announced that Unihub Limited (a PCCW subsidiary company heading a consortium of suppliers, including Keycorp) had won the tender to provide the technology to produce biometric passports .[22] In February 2007,
8008-402: The official languages in Macau, while Mandarin is the official language of China. The central government in Beijing also maintains control over Macau's foreign affairs as well as the legal interpretation of the Basic Law. In addition to the Hong Kong and Macau contexts, Deng proposed the principle's applicability to reunification with Taiwan, but the government of Taiwan has consistently rejected
8112-409: The official languages of Hong Kong are Chinese and English, the passport is printed bilingually in both Chinese ( traditional characters ) and English. In addition, unlike Chinese passport which can be directly issued by Chinese diplomatic missions abroad, the Immigration Department of Hong Kong is the only issuing authority for HKSAR passports. In late 2019, the fourth version of the HKSAR passport
8216-399: The pandemic is under control in Hong Kong. A draft national security bill was submitted on 22 May 2020 to China's national parliament, the National People's Congress. In accordance with the one country, two systems formula, Hong Kong's basic law requires the Hong Kong legislature to ratify national security to prevent sedition, secession and foreign interference. The Chinese central government
8320-667: The passport is titled the "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Passports Ordinance (Chapter 539)", the Hong Kong SAR passport , the HKSAR passport or the Hong Kong passport . The authorities of the Republic of China (commonly known as "Taiwan") refer to the Hong Kong SAR passport as the "Hong Kong passport". Meanwhile, the Brazilian Consulate-General in Hong Kong uses the term "Hong Kong passport" in reference to both
8424-445: The pataca is also not accepted in stores in China. With this agreement, a permit or visa is required when crossing between the borders of Macau and China, and people in Macau generally hold Macau SAR passports rather than mainland Chinese passports. Like Hong Kong, the official languages are a major factor that has made Macau and China distinct from each other besides the history of the former colony , as Cantonese and Portuguese are
8528-481: The practice of socialism in mainland China , both Hong Kong and Macau, which were colonies of the United Kingdom and Portugal respectively, could retain their established system under a high degree of autonomy for up to 50 years after reunification. However, what would happen after 2047 and 2049 for Hong Kong and Macau respectively has never been publicly stated. Chapter 1, Article 5 of the Hong Kong Basic Law ,
8632-441: The principle, each of the two regions could continue to have its own governmental system, legal, economic and financial affairs, including trade relations with foreign countries, all of which are independent from those of the mainland. The PRC has also proposed to apply the principle in the unification it aims for with Taiwan . However, since 2020, as a result of the passage of the National Security Law by Hong Kong on 30 June of
8736-482: The proposal as recently as December 2023. Chinese paramount leader Deng Xiaoping proposed the principle during negotiation with British prime minister Margaret Thatcher over the expiration of the United Kingdom's lease on the New Territories (including New Kowloon ) of Hong Kong in 1997. The same principle was proposed in talks with Portugal about Macau. The principle is that, upon reunification, despite
8840-501: The protests, were charged for their roles in the protests and found guilty. It was officially announced in September 2012 that the Hong Kong government would introduce compulsory "national, moral and civic education" in all non-international primary and secondary schools to strengthen "national identity awareness and nurture patriotism towards China". According to an academic research paper, the current school curriculum in Hong Kong projects
8944-635: The region. As separate economic entities, both SARs of Hong Kong and Macau are members of the World Trade Organization . Hong Kong is also one of the member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation . The Hong Kong Basic Law also provides constitutional protection on various fundamental human rights and freedoms; specifically, these rights are covered in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ,
9048-437: The relationship between the central government and local governments: "The division of responsibility and power between the central and local government is governed under the unified leadership of the central government, while fully encouraging the principle of local government initiative and proactivity." Article 35 of the 1982 Constitution proclaims that "citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of speech , of
9152-866: The rhetoric associated with the Cultural Revolution incorporated in the 1978 version. In fact, the Constitution omits all references to the Cultural Revolution and restates CCP Chairman Mao Zedong 's contributions in accordance with a major historical reassessment produced in June 1981 at the Sixth Plenum of the Eleventh Central Committee, the Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party since
9256-519: The same year, the United States and the United Kingdom condemned the Chinese government of seriously breaching the principle. Deng Xiaoping developed the principle of one country, two systems in relation to Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. Hong Kong and Macau had been colonized by European powers and Taiwan remained under Kuomintang Control at the end of the Chinese Civil War . Hong Kong
9360-523: The second page in Chinese and English: 中華人民共和國外交部請各國軍政機關對持照人予以通行的便利和必要的協助 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China requests all civil and military authorities of foreign countries to allow the bearer of this passport to pass freely and afford assistance in case of need. The passport's observations page on page 3 had the following: The passport's explanatory notes were on page 1 in Chinese, and on page 2 in English. They consisted of
9464-550: The straight line separating the machine readable zone from the rest of the data page and the vertical straight line of the right hand column of Tsing Ma Bridge , contains micro-lettering of the holder's English name, Hong Kong permanent identity card number and date of birth. The background of the identification page changes under ultraviolet light , when a scene of the Tsing Ma Bridge with nighttime fireworks becomes visible. The identification page also contains an engraving of
9568-580: The system to be extended past 2047. On 1 July 2022, during a visit to Hong Kong , General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping made a promise that the system is a long-term policy. In February 2024, Xia Baolong said that the system would be kept permanently. As a British colony, Hong Kong was neither democratic nor autonomous. After Britain returned Hong Kong to China in 1997, Beijing promised that Hong Kong citizens would be free to elect their local government. However,
9672-673: The territory has yet to achieve universal suffrage as promised by the Basic Law, leading to mass demonstrations in 2014 . A colony of Portugal for 442 years from 1557, Macau was returned to the Chinese government in 1999. In the Joint Declaration on the Question of Macau , the drafting and adoption of Macau's mini-constitution before its return was foreseen. Like Hong Kong, a basic law would ensure that Macau retained its economic system, currency (the Macanese pataca ), legal system (which
9776-415: The top right hand corner of the portrait photograph, and the surname, given names and nationality data sections is a kinegram, consisting of an amalgamation of the Chinese and Hong Kong flags, and the letters "HK 香港 ". In the middle of the identification page is a multiple laser image consisting of two circles: in the left hand circle is another image of the holder's portrait photograph, at the bottom of which
9880-607: Was a colony of the United Kingdom, ruled by a governor appointed by the monarch of the United Kingdom , for 156 years from 1841 (except for four years of Japanese occupation during WWII ) until 1997, when it was handed over to the Chinese government . In discussing Hong Kong's future, Deng described the risk of possible instability which might be caused by what he termed as destructive forces both inside and outside Hong Kong. In Deng's view, these destructive forces might create instability both prior to, and as well as after, Hong Kong's return to China. Deng repeatedly stressed that
9984-417: Was also added to the Constitution. The amendments also add the phrases "Communist Party of China" and its "leadership" into the main body of the Constitution. Prior to the amendment, the CCP and its leadership were only mentioned in the preamble. Constitutional preambles are often not legally binding and as the legal applicability of the Chinese constitution is debated, the amendment may be seen as providing
10088-1001: Was appointed by the government as the under-secretary of the Education Bureau. She "has former connections with the pro-Beijing Federation of Education Workers" (SCMP article A). This led to more than 17,000 people signing a petition opposing Yuk-lin having the position. Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping also announced during his visit to Hong Kong in July 2017 the need for an enhancement and boost of "national history and culture" in Hong Kong education. The disappearances of five staff at Causeway Bay Books – an independent publisher and bookstore – in October to December 2015 precipitated an international outcry as cross-border abductions were widely suspected. Although at least two of them disappeared in mainland China , one in Thailand , one member
10192-510: Was last seen in Hong Kong, but apparently had found his way across the Chinese land border in Shenzhen without the necessary travel documents. The unprecedented disappearance of a person in Hong Kong, and the bizarre events surrounding it, shocked the city and crystallised international concern over the suspected abduction of Hong Kong citizens by Chinese public security bureau officials and their likely rendition , in violation of several articles of
10296-489: Was launched. In English, the passport is sometimes referred to by its long-form name which appears on the cover (i.e. the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Passport – a literal translation of the Chinese title 香港特別行政區護照 ). Alternatively, the passport is commonly referred to as the Hong Kong SAR passport ( Chinese : 香港特區護照 ) (the Hong Kong legislative ordinance concerning
10400-432: Was machine readable, designed for immigration control points equipped with passport scanners. The passport size was 125 mm × 88 mm . The second version of the Hong Kong SAR passport was available either as a 32-page ordinary-size passport or as a 48-page passport. The cover of the passport was dark blue with wording and the national emblem of the People's Republic of China in gold. The word Passport in Chinese and English
10504-568: Was neither the British nor American systems and Hong Kong should not import Western political systems in the future. As part of Hong Kong's return to China, China agreed to accept some conditions, as stipulated in the Sino-British Joint Declaration , such as the drafting and adoption of Hong Kong's "mini-constitution" Basic Law before its return. The Hong Kong Basic Law ensured that Hong Kong will retain its capitalist economic system and own currency (the Hong Kong dollar ), legal system , legislative system , and same human rights and freedoms, as
10608-547: Was not forthcoming. In August, a controversy erupted in 2018 when the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Hong Kong (FCC) hosted a lunchtime talk with Andy Chan, convener of the Hong Kong Independence Party (HKIP) to take place on 14 August. Victor Mallet, vice-chairman of the press organisation, chaired the session. The governments of China and Hong Kong had called for the cancellation of the talk, because
10712-533: Was proposed in Hong Kong inciting mass protests . The new law identifies that those who are suspects of serious crimes could be sent to China. This was initiated due to a murder suspect fleeing from Taiwan to Hong Kong in 2018. He was accused of murdering his pregnant 20 year old girlfriend, thus Hong Kong authorities were asked by Taiwan to extradite the man. Hong Kong, however, did not concur with this demand and could not prosecute him as Hong Kong does not have any form of an extradition agreement with Taiwan. In terms of
10816-550: Was widely seen to be retribution for his role in chairing the Andy Chan talk which the FCC refused to call off. Secretary for Security John Lee insisted the ban on Mallet was unrelated to press freedom, but declined to explain the decision. The incident caused a furious debate over restrictions to freedoms that were supposedly protected by the Sino-British Joint Declaration under "one country, two systems". In April 2019, an extradition bill
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