My second concern is that:-
"There is nothing in the Basic Law which provides institutional
safeguards against the Beijing Government usurping the autonomy given to Hong Kong by the Sino-British Joint Declaration by giving detailed confidential directions to the HKSAR Chief Executive on how to run the domestic affairs of the territory. Whether the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law will be implemented depends therefore on whether the Beijing Government can exercise voluntary self-restraint with respect to the conduct of the SAR
administration.
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Or to put it more simply, and to quote someone labelled as an "astute Hong Kong Chinese Commentator"
"I think it is against the grain of Chinese people to own something
and not run it."
And maybe it is; though Chinese people are far from the only ones like that on earth. But is the concern justified? Some background may be useful in deciding whether it is.
The relationship between the CPG and Hong Kong:-
"implicates China's state system, especially the nature and status of SAR's, and the origins of power, as well as a whole series of other critical issues ... A locality's powers are not inherent in themselves, but are conferred by the state. Neither before nor after the establishment of the Hong Kong SAR does it possess independent sovereignty. The Hong Kong SAR's high degree of autonomy is conferred by the state through the Basis Law it cannot enjoy powers that were never conferred.
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and
In seeking to introduce my point on patriotism, it is necessary for me to comprehend the relationship between the CPG and the SAR from the CPG's point of view. If this is not done (and some in Hong Kong make no attempt to do so), the purposes of this project will not be achievable.
This
In the case of Hong Kong, the exercise of a high degree of autonomy will be conditioned directly by the provision of the Joint Declaration that the SAR "will be directly under the authority of the CPG". implies that no action will be permitted by the CPG which impairs its supremacy or sovereignty. For its part, the SAR Government can be hoped to allow no action which impinges on the rights of persons subject to the Basic Law and to the laws of the HKSAR. Thus, the departments of government, be they executive, legislative or independent judicial will be constituted and operating autonomously, yet in a manner which neither in their purposes nor in their modes of