TNAG-1602-FCO40-2198-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Basic-Law-1987 — Page 196

The Preamble

Text proposed by the BLDC Special Groups

Hong Kong, including Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula south of the Shenzhen River and nearby islands, has since ancient times been part of the territory of China. After the Opium War in 1840, Hong Kong was occupied by Britain. In December 1984, the Chinese and the British Governments signed the Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong, confirming that the PRC Government would resume the exercise of

sovereignty over Hong Kong on 1 July 1997, thus realising the long-standing common wish of the people of the whole nation relating to the recovery of Hong Kong.

2.

In order to maintain the unity and territorial integrity of the state and to maintain Hong Kong's stability and prosperity, and taking account of the history of Hong Kong and its realities, the state decided that on the the exercise of sovereignty over resumption of the Hong Kong, the Hong Kong SAR should be established in accordance with Article 31 of the PRC Constitution and should, under the "one country, two

principle, practise systems" systems and policies different from the mainland, and that this should remain unchanged for 50 years. The above-stated decision has been elaborated by

in government

our

Sino-British Joint Declaration.

the

Our proposed text

Hong Kong, including Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the "New Territories", has since ancient times been part

part of the territory of China. After the Opium War in 1840, Hong Kong was occupied by Britain. In December 1984, the Chinese and the British

British Governments signed the Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong, confirming that the PRC Government would resume the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong on 1 July 1997, thus realising the long-standing common wish of

of the people of the whole nation relating to the recovery of Hong Kong.

2.

In order to maintain the unity and territorial integrity of the state and to maintain Hong Kong's stability and prosperity, and taking account of the history of Hong Kong and its realities, the state decided that on the resumption of the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, the

Hong Kong SAR should be established in accordance with Article 31 of the PRC Constitution and should, under the "one country, two systems" principle, practise

and systems

different policies

from the mainland, and that this should remain unchanged for 50 years.

In accordance with the above-stated decision, our Government has established the state's basic policies towards Hong Kong, and has elaborated them in the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

of

3.

3.

In accordance with the provisions

of the the Constitution of the PRC, the Basic Law of the

SAR of Hong Kong

the PRC is made, prescribing the systems in the Hong Kong SAR, in order to ensure the implementation of the state's basic policies towards Hong Kong.

the

of

of

In accordance with the provisions Constitution of the People's Republic China, the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR of the People's Republic of China is made, prescribing the systems in the Hong Kong SAR, and in order to ensure the implementation of the state's basic policies towards Hong Kong.

SECRET

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