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China Top Office in Hong Kong Declares Itself Not Bound by Basic Law

Verna Yu

   HONG KONG - China's top representative office in Hong Kong said Friday
   it is entitled to get involved in Hong Kong affairs and is not subject
   to the semi-autonomous city's constitutional restrictions that bar the
   Chinese government from interfering in local affairs.

   The 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration promised Hong Kong "a high
   degree of autonomy" under the "one country, two systems" principle for
   at least 50 years after China resumed sovereignty in 1997. The Basic
   Law, the city's post-handover mini-constitution, mandates that the
   mainland Chinese government cannot interfere in its affairs.

   However, the China liaison office said in a strongly worded statement
   issued late Friday that "a high degree of autonomy is not complete
   autonomy." It said Hong Kong's right to self-govern is "authorized by
   the central government" and "the authorizer has supervisory powers over
   the authorized."

   Both the liaison office and the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office --
   China's top bodies overseeing the city's affairs -- are "authorized by
   the central authorities to handle Hong Kong affairs," it said. It added
   that it is entitled to supervise affairs in Hong Kong and make
   statements on issues on Hong Kong's relationship with Beijing, ranging
   from the "correct" implementation of the Basic Law to matters
   pertaining to the overall interests of society.

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