16 September 2003
Press Release
European Commission adopts 2002 Annual
Reports on Hong Kong and Macao. In its two annual reports on Hong Kong and
Macao that were just adopted, the European Commission expresses general
satisfaction on the way the "One Country, Two Systems" principle
applies.
Hong Kong
The Hong Kong 2002 report considers that
five and a half years after the hand-over of Hong Kong to China, the "One
Country, Two Systems" principle continued to be working reasonably well.
The Central Government statements reiterating its adherence to this principle
for Hong Kong throughout 2002 were welcomed.
However, the actual implementation of this
principle has given rise to some debate and uncertainty, notably the
introduction of a national security bill enacting Article 23 of the Basic Law.
The EU issued two public statements (Note 1) in 2002 to express its concerns
regarding this legislation, which is certainly the most challenging legislative
initiative since the hand-over (the report was drafted before the recent events
in the territory which led the Government to withdraw the bill in question).
The report points to the continuing sluggishness
of Hong Kong's economy in 2002 and to the external and internal challenges with
which the SAR has had to cope. It welcomes the increasing economic integration
with China and expresses hope that the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement
with China will be WTO-compatible and will not imply discrimination against
foreign companies.
In conclusion, the Commission calls on the
Hong Kong government to continue to uphold the "one country, two
systems" principle and to build on positive steps taken in the institutional
field, by making early moves towards implementation of universal suffrage, as
set out in the Basic Law.
The European Commission will continue to
monitor developments in Hong Kong very closely, especially with regard to
future legislative developments related to Article 23.
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View the full report, please see enclosed.
SAR Government has issued an response to
European Commission Fifth Annual Report. For details, please see enclosed.
(Link to HKSARG website)
Note 1:
1.
Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union
on Article 23 of the Basic Law of Hong Kong (16/07/2003)
2.
Declaration
by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on Article 23 of the Basic
Law of Hong Kong (30/06/03)
3.
Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union
on Article 23 of Hong Kong Basic Law (15/04/03)
4.
EU Statement: Hong Kong SAR Government's Proposal to Implement
Article 23 of Basic Law (23/12/02)