CHINA-HONGKONG: NPC CHAIRMAN ZHANG DEJIANG'S OBSERVATIONS

PBSC Member and Chairman of China's NPC, Zhang Dejiang in a talk at a Symposium Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of Hong Kong Basic Law held by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee in Beijing on May 27, 2017, cautioned Hongkongers not to confront the central government over its promised “high degree of autonomy”, and called on the city to enact controversial national security laws. In a wide-ranging speech on Beijing's latest policy towards Hongkong, Zhang Dejiang unveiled a number of areas where the government would “go into further details” to consolidate its power in Hong Kong, including the pace of political reform, the central government’s power over the chief executive, and its ability to appoint and dismiss key officials. He expressly stated that “The relationship between the central government and Hong Kong is that of delegation of power, not power-sharing. Under no circumstances should the central government’s powers be confronted in the name of a high degree of autonomy.”

Among the main points he made are: (i) The relation between China and Hong Kong is one of granting powers, not of sharing powers. The prerogatives of the Central government can never be opposed in the name of the “high degree of autonomy”; (ii) Hongkong must legislate to fulfill its constitutional obligation to safeguard national security; (iii) No law in the HKSAR, including Hongkong's preexisting common law system may contradict the Basic Law and NPC interpretations of the Basic Law, which have the same status and are final; (iv) Hong Kong does not have separation of powers, or a judiciary-led government, it is an executive-led system with the CE at its “core”; (v) The governing officials of HK must be made up of "patriots who show respect for the Chinese nation", sincerely cherish the resumption of sovereignty by the motherland and do not harm Hongkong's prosperity and stability; and (vi) China's central government is responsible for monitoring whether Hongkong officials are upholding the Basic Law and whether they are loyal to the country and the SAR.







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