ENG-2006 — Page 41

Constitution and Administration 13

MFA Office. The HKSAR Government is responsible for the day-to-day management of the consular corps.

Working Relationship with the Mainland Authorities

Since reunification, the Government has made significant progress in developing and maintaining a cordial working relationship with the CPG and other Mainland authorities. Through a wide range of exchanges, including visits, meetings, seminars and training programmes, various bureaux and departments of the Government and their Mainland counterparts have enhanced mutual understanding.

The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) of the State Council facilitates and provides assistance to the HKSAR Government in developing official contacts with Mainland authorities. The Government also maintains close liaison with HKMAO on matters of mutual concern and arrangements for official visits between the Mainland and Hong Kong.

Article 22 of the Basic Law provides that no department of the CPG and no province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the Central Government may interfere in the affairs which the HKSAR administers on its own in accordance with the Basic Law. The CPG and other Mainland authorities have conducted business with the HKSAR in accordance with this principle.

In April 2006, the Government set up the Mainland Affairs Liaison Office within. the Constitutional Affairs Bureau to strengthen liaison with the Mainland and facilitate exchanges and cooperation with provinces/regions. The office is responsible for formulating overall strategies and direction of cooperation between the HKSAR and the Mainland. It also oversees the work of the Office of the Government of the HKSAR in Beijing and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (ETOS) on the Mainland.

In September 2006, the Government set up two new ETOS in Shanghai and Chengdu to further promote exchanges and cooperation with the eastern and the southwestern regions of China. In addition, the geographical coverage of the Guangdong ETO was extended in April 2006 to include Guangxi, Fujian, Jiangxi and Hainan. A new immigration division has been set up in the Guangdong ETO to provide assistance to Hong Kong residents in distress in the areas within its purview.

As the province closest to Hong Kong, Guangdong has the most extensive ties with the HKSAR. For 25 years, the Cross-boundary Liaison System has provided an effective mechanism for Hong Kong and Guangdong to discuss and resolve practical issues of mutual concern, including the fight against cross-boundary crime and the regulation of the Shenzhen River.

The Hong Kong/Guangdong Cooperation Joint Conference (Joint Conference) provides a high-level forum to explore and coordinate major initiatives in cooperation between Hong Kong and Guangdong. On August 2, 2006, the Ninth Plenary meeting of the Joint Conference was held under the co-chairmanship of the Chief Executive of the HKSAR and the Governor of Guangdong.