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APPOINTED BY THE CENTRAL PEOPLE'S GOVERNMENT. OTHER PRINCIPAL
OFFICIALS WOULD BE APPOINTED BY THE CENTRAL PEOPLE'S GOVERNMENT
ON THE BASIS OF THE RESULTS OF ELECTIONS OR CONSULTATIONS HELD
LOCALLY. OTHER OFFICIALS WOULD BE APPOINTED BY THE SAR
GOVERNMENT.
IMPLICATIONS
5.
EXISTING CONSTITUTIONAL INSTRUMENTS RELATING TO HONG KONG (EG THE LETTERS PATENT AND THE ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS) WOULD BE REVOKED. THE PROVISIONS OF THOSE INSTRUMENTS WHICH ARE RELEVANT TO THE
GOVERNMENT OF THE HONG KONG SAR WOULD BE REPLACED BY SIMILAR
PROVISIONS IN THE BASIC LAW TO BE ENACTED BY THE NATIONAL
PEOPLE'S CONGRESS FOR THE SAR OR IN SUBSIDIARY SAR LEGISLATION,
WITH SUCH AMENDMENT AS MIGHT BE NECESSARY. THE NEW PROVISIONS
WOULD ENSHRINE THE MAXIMUM DEGREE OF AUTONOMY FOR HONG KONG
(CHINA) IN RESPECT OF THE EXERCISE OF EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATIVE AND JUDICIAL FUNCTIONS. CONTINUING PROVISION WOULD BE MADE FOR THE
SEPARATION OF EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATIVE AND JUDICIAL POWERS. 6. BY VIRTUE OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE BASIC LAW, THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SAR WOULD HAVE POWERS TO CONDUCT AUTONOMOUSLY ALL MATTERS
RELATING TO THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF THE SAR AND TO CONDUCT
AUTONOMOUSLY ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL EXTERNAL RELATIONS. THE
CENTRAL PEOPLE'S GOVERNMENT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FOREIGN
POLICY AND DEFENCE QUESTIONS AFFECTING HONG KONG, BUT WOULD
CONSULT WITH THE SAR GOVERNMENT ON SUCH MATTERS.
7. IN ORDER TO PRESERVE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY IN HONG KONG,
IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO PRESERVE CONFIDENCE. THE PRESERVATION OF
CONFIDENCE WILL REQUIRE THE MAXIMUM POSSIBLE CONTINUITY OF
INSTITUTIONS AND THESE INSTITUTIONS WILL NEED TO BE SEEN TO
EXERCISE FREELY THE AUTONOMY PROVIDED FOR IN THE BASIC LAW. THIS
IMPLIES THAT, WHILE PROVISION FOR GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES WILL BE MADE BY THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS OF THE PRC AS PART OF THE BASIC LAW OF THE SAR OF HONG KONG (CHINA), THIS SHOULD INVOLVE A
HIGH DEGREE OF CONTINUITY.
8. THE GENERAL STRUCTURE OF THE GOVERNMENT THAT EXISTED IN HONG KONG IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO 1 JULY 1997 WOULD THEREFORE REMAIN ESSENTIALLY UNCHANGED. THIS IMPLIES THAT THERE WOULD BE A CHIEF
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