FM Spokesman: Central Government Guarantees HK People's Legal Rights

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, July 04, 2003

FM Spokesman: Central Government Guarantees HK People's Legal Rights

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The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) stipulates clearly the rights and obligations of the Hong Kong people, and the Chinese central government will fully guarantee their legal rights and freedoms, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan on Thursday.

Kong quoted Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's speech in Hong Kong on July 1 as saying that the new Chinese central government would implement the "one country, two systems" policy persistently and unswervingly, adhere to the Basic Law strictly, and fully support the law-based administration of the Hong Kong SAR government and the SAR chief executive.

The central government would guarantee the legal rights and freedoms of the Hong Kong people, and unite with them to maintain the prosperity, stability and development of Hong Kong, Kong quoted Wen as saying.

All Hong Kong compatriots had reached a consensus on maintaining Hong Kong's stability and economic growth, and the SAR government had expressed its appreciation of advice from all walks of life on the government's work and Hong Kong's long-term development, Kong said.

It was fully necessary for the SAR government to enact laws independently and to implement Article 23 of the Basic Law, because this was in line with the interests of both Hong Kong and the whole nation, and accorded with international practice in legislation, Kong said.

Enacting Article 23 on the basis of the Basic Law was the internal affair of the SAR government, and comments on this issue from some foreign governments were unnecessary, he said.

While examining the draft ordinance concerning national security, the Hong Kong SAR Legislative Council had solicited public opinion in an in-depth manner, including that of personages from Taiwan, especially Taiwan business people in Hong Kong, Kong said.

It was useless for someone to take this as an excuse to undermine relations between Hong Kong and Taiwan and to smear the "one China, two systems" policy, the spokesman said.

"We are convinced that Hong Kong people will certainly be of one heart and one mind in their effort to create a bright future for Hong Kong," Kong said.

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