been made towards introducing representative elections to policy- making institutions, and that British expatriates still dominate the executive positions in most departments of the civil service, and in the police and judiciary.
Whereas Hong Kong's economy has become increasingly sophisticated it is now the world's third largest financial centre and is a major international communications and trading centre its political development has been lethargic. Reforms must now be introduced if the offer of autonomy contained in the concept of the SAR is to be realized. The success of the Anglo-Chinese Agreement will depend upon Hong Kong's ability to manage its own affairs without British tutelage before 1997. Hong Kong's people are increasingly calling for such reforms to be introduced promptly and in consultation with local people.
In this publication, we have set out the principal areas in which the British government has a valuable role to play, either directly or by encouraging or requiring the government of Hong Kong to offer the people of the territory the widest possible opportunity to make use of the transition period leading up to 1997 in the spirit of the Anglo-Chinese Agreement.
This pamphlet was prepared by Hong Kong Link
a group of individuals and organisations which meets in London to monitor developments in Hong Kong- - and is sponsored by a number of British organisations which support the people of Hong Kong working to prepare for the future.
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Political Reform
Hong Kong's Current Political Structure
Hong Kong is ruled by a Governor appointed by the Queen. He chairs both the principal policy-making bodies of the territory - the Executive and Legislative Councils. Major policy decisions must be approved by the Executive Council, while the Legislative Council enacts legislation, including legislation for the appropriation of public funds. Both councils are composed of civil servants · - the 'official' members and a number of 'unofficial' members who are appointed by the Governor. From September 1985 a proportion of Legislative Council Members will be indirectly elected.
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The civil service is made up of the 14 branches of the Government Secretariat and 59 executive departments and agencies. Policy areas are overseen by a number of secretaries, the principal ones being the Chief Secretary, the Financial Secretary, and the Attorney General.
There is an extensive network of over three hundred advisory boards and committees (such as the Board of Education, the Housing Authority and the Transport Advisory Committee), the members of which are in the main appointed by the Governor, although in some cases, such as the Labour Advisory Board, they are elected.
At the level of local government, the Urban Council is over 100 years old. It is now a statutory and financially autonomous body with limited responsibility for providing municipal services as well as cultural and recreational facilities throughout the urban areas (Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon). It has 30 councillors, of whom 15 are appointed by the Governor and 15 directly elected on a constituency basis. Since March 1985, a Regional Council with similar functions has been established in the New Territories (all of Hong Kong except the urban areas) and from 1986 one third of the members of this body will be
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