TNAG-1861-FCO40-2636-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Basic-Law-1989 — Page 7

Preamble

Hong Kong has been part of China's territory since

ancient ti mes, but it was occupied by Britain after the

Opium War in 1840. On 19 December 1984, the Chinese and

British Governments signed the Joint Declaration on the

Question of Hong Kong, affirming that the Government of the

PRC will resume the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong

on 1 July 1997, thus fulfilling the long-cherished common

aspiration of the entire Chinese people for the recovery of

Hong Kong.

In order to uphold national unity and territorial

integrity and to maintain Hong Kong's prosperity and

stability, and taking account of the history of

the history of Hong Kong

and its realities, the PRC has decided that upon

upon China's resumption of the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, a

Hong Kong SAR will be established

established in accordance with the

provisions of Article 31 of the Constitution of the PKC and

that under the principle of "one country, two systems", socialist system and policies will not be practised in Hong Kong. The basic policies of the PRC regarding Hong Kong have been elaborated by our government in the Sino-British

Joint De claration.

In accordance with the Constitution of the PRC,

the National People's Congress hereby enacts the Basic Law

of the Hong Kong SAR of the PFC, prescribing the systems to be practised in the Hong Kong SAR in order to ensure the imp le mentation of

of the basic policies of the PRC regarding

Hong Kong.