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Politics and government
Politics and government
In accordance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and reflecting the policy known as "one country, two systems" by the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region in all areas except defence and foreign affairs.
The declaration stipulates that the region maintain its capitalist economic system and guarantees the rights and freedoms of its people for at least 50 years beyond the 1997 handover.
The Basic Law is the constitutional document that outlines executive, legislative and judicial authorities of government, although final authority for interpreting the Basic Law rests with the PRC government.
The primary institutions of government are: .
The executive: The Executive Council, headed by the Chief Executive who is elected by the Election Committee and then approved and appointed by the Central People's Government; .
The legislature: The Legislative Council with 60 members, half of which are directly elected by universal suffrage, and headed by the President of the Legislative Council who serves as the Speaker of the Council; .
The Hong Kong Civil Service: A politically neutral body that implements policies and provides government services, where public servants are appointed based on qualifications, experience and ability; .
The judiciary: Comprising the Court of Final Appeal, the High Court (which includes the Court of Appeal and the Court of First Instance), the District Courts, et cetera.
The Basic Law and universal suffrage have been major issues of political debate since the transfer of sovereignty.
In 2002, the government's proposed Article 23 of the Basic Law, which required the enactment of laws prohibiting acts of treason and subversion against the Chinese government, was met with fierce opposition, and eventually shelved.
Debate between pro-Beijing groups and pro-democracy groups characterises Hong Kong's political scene, with the latter generally supporting a faster pace of democratisation.
As it has never been a sovereign state, Hong Kong has never had its own military forces.
As a British colony and later territory, defence was provided by the British military under the command of the Governor of Hong Kong who was ex officio Commander-in-chief.
When the People's Republic of China assumed sovereignty in 1997, the British barracks were replaced by a garrison of the People's Liberation Army, comprising ground, naval, and air forces, and under the command of the Chinese Central Military Commission.
The Basic Law protects local civil affairs against interference by resident military forces, and the Hong Kong Government remains responsible for the maintenance of public order.
Source: CIA Factbook, Wikipedia
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