Hong Kong joins the National People's Congress: A first test for one country with two political systems

Journal of Contemporary China

Volumn 8, Issue 21, 1999, Pages 319-343

  Pepper, Suzanne ^a  

^a NONE

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK; POLITICAL CHANGE; POLITICAL SYSTEM; SOVEREIGNTY;

CHINA; HONG KONG;

EID: 0032822665     PISSN: 10670564     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/10670569908724350     Document Type: Article

References (45)

1. 'Zhonghua renmin gongheguo quanguo renmin daibiao dahui he difang geji renmin daibiao dahui xuanji fa' (Electoral law of the People's Republic of China concerning the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses at different levels), 28 February 1995, State Council Bulletin No. 7, (6 April 1995), pp. 187-197.
2. Chen Sixi, 'Gangren canyu guojia shiwu guanli de falu baozhang', (Hong Kong people's legal protection for participating in the management of national affairs), Zhongguo falu jikan (China Law Quarterly No. 2), Beijing and Hong Kong (30 June 1997), p. 18.
3. 'Zhonghua renmin gongheguo xianggang tebie xingzhengqu xuanju dijiujie quanguo renmin daibiao de banfa' (Procedures for electing the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's representatives to the Ninth National People's Congress), 14 March 1997, Zhonghua renmin gongheguo guowuyuan gongbao (State Council Bulletin) No. 9, (1 April 1997), pp. 405-406.
4. The main components of the Electoral Conference and their origins were as follows: (1) Hong Kong's NPC incumbents serving within the Guangdong delegation. (2) Hong Kong's 79-member delegation to the Eighth National CPPCC had been appointed according to conventional practice (see note 23, below) in 1993. Hong Kong had its own separate contingent within the CPPCC. Except for its Hong Kong and Macau delegations, however, the CPPCC is based on functional rather than geographic divisions and additional Hong Kong delegates were included in various other functional categories. (3) The 60-member Provisional Legislative Council was chosen by the SAR Selection Committee in December 1996. (4) The all-important founding body, the Selection Committee, was formed in a manner referred to euphemistically by Hong Kong critics as the 'mainland practice of negotiation and consultations'. A total of 5,700 people put their names forward as potential participants in the Selection Committee, but Hong Kong's Democratic Party and like-minded independents were automatically disqualified for refusing to recognize the legitimacy of the Provisional Legislative Council. The 5,700 people were reduced to a more manageable 409 nominees by the SAR Preparatory Committee. The latter was a 150-member body (composed of 94 Hong Kong residents and 56 mainland officials) which was authorized by the Basic Law to form the first SAR Government. The Preparatory Committee's secretariat produced a shortlist of 409 candidates, divided into four categories, and even ranked them in order of preference, leaving little for the 150 Preparatory Committee members to do at their 2 November 1996 plenary meeting but check the first 340 names on the list. The remaining 60 members necessary to produce the 400-strong Selection Committee were reserved by NPC decision to include incumbent Hong Kong NPC and CPPCC delegates. A few Chinese-language newspapers printed the secretariat's ranked shortlists, e.g. Xianggang jingji ribao (Hong Kong Economic Daily), (2 November 1996),
5. and Xingdao ribao (Sing Too Daily), (2 November 1996).
6. 'Xianggang tebie xingzhengqu dijiujie quanguo renmin daibiao dahui daibiao juti xuanju banfa' (Specific election methods for the Hong Kong SAR's delegates to the Ninth NPC), 12 November 1997, text in Wenhuibao (Wen Wei Po), Hong Kong, (13 November 1997).
7. ZhuYoulin, 'Weilai ganggu renda daibiao de wuxiang renwu' (The five future tasks of the Hong Kong SAR's delegates to the NPC), Dagongbao (Ta Kung Pao), Hong Kong, (20 August 1997).
8. Jian Fuyi, 'Gangqu renda daibiao ying guanzhu quanguo shiwu' (SAR People's Congress delegates should concentrate on national affairs), Ta Kung Pao, (26 August 1997);
9. also, Mingbao (Ming Pao Daily News), Hong Kong, (26 August 1997).
10. Kan was citing provisions from 'Zhonghua renmin gongheguo quanguo renmin daibao dahui de difang geji renmin daibiao dahui daibiaofa' (The Delegates Law of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China and of the various local level people's congresses), (3 April 1992), especially chapter 3, in, Zhongguo falu fagui dadian (Compilation of China's Laws and Regulations), (Beijing: Dianzi gongye chubanhe, 1997), CD-ROM.
11. For example: 'Zhonggong muhou kong gang renda xuanju' (Behind-the-scenes control of the People's Congress election in Hong Kong by the Chinese Communist Party), Zhengming (Cheng Ming Monthly), (1 January 1998), p. 11;
12. also, Jackie Sam in, Hong Kong Standard, (6 December 1997).
13. 'Behind-the-scenes control ...', p. 11;
14. also, Hong Kong Standard, (4 and 5 December 1997);
15. South China Morning Post, Hong Kong, (3 December 1997).
16. Wen Wei Po, 17 November 1997.
17. For example: South China Morning Post, editorial, (19 November 1997), and Andy Ho's column, (25 November 1997);
18. Xinbao (Hong Kong Economic Journal), (24 and 26 November 1997, 11 December 1997);
19. Ming Pao Daily News, (15, 16, 19 and 21 November 1997).
20. The reference was to Hong Kong SAR's Legislative Council Ordinace, 3 October 1997, Part V, Section 27, in The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Gazette, Legal Supplement, No.1, (3 October 1997).
21. For example: Liberal Party member Ronald Arculli in, South China Morning Post, (20 November 1997);
22. Ming Pao Daily News, (15, 17 and 19 November 1997);
23. Wen Wei Po, (12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 22 November 1997).
24. 'Wo shi Dong xiansheng ermu, yu suo you dangpai goutong: Ye Guohua tan geren jingli yu zhengzhi linian' (I am Mr. Tung's eyes and ears, and his link with all the parties: Paul Yip discusses his personal experience and political ideas), Jiushi niandai (The Nineties), No. 9, (September 1997), p. 56 and pp. 52-60 passim.
25. 'Minzhudang tequ quanguo renda houxuanren gongbu guojia fazhan de ruogan yijianshu:xinwengao' (The Democratic Party's SAR candidates for the NPC announce some opinions on national development: a press summary), (4 November 1997);
26. and, Luoshi minzhu xianzheng, tuidong Zhongguo fazhi: women dui guojia fazhan de ruogan yijian (Some of Our Opinions on Implementing Democratic Constitutional Government and Promoting the Rule of Law in China), Democratic Party, November 1997, 24 pp.
27. 'Bu de renxin de canxuan "zhenggang"' (An election platform without popular support), Wen Wei Po, (11 November 1997).
28. 'Ping mou zhengdang "canxuan yijianshu'" (Criticizing a certain political party's "election manifesto"), Wen Wei Po, (7 November 1997).
29. 'Liangfen zhenggang, yige mudi' (Two political platforms, one objective), Wen Wei Po, (12 November 1997).
30. See also, Wen Wei Po, (November 1997, passim).
31. Text in Wen Wei Po, (11 November 1997).
32. List in Wen Wei Po, (29 November 1997).
33. Ming Pao Daily News and South China Morning Post, (2 December 1997).
34. On these political culture controversies, see for example: Hong Kong Standard and South China Morning Post, (13, 16 and 29 November and 2 December 1997);
35. Ming Pao Daily News, (2 and 3 December 1997);
36. Hong Kong Economic Journal, (14 and 26 November 1997).
37. See Wen Wei Po (24 January 1998)
38. and Ming Pao Daily News, (25 January 1998). No effort has been made to reform selection procedures for Hong Kong's CPPCC delegates. Nominees continue to be appointed after recommendation and approval by Beijing (the CCP United Front Work Department, the CCP Organization Department, and the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office) and Hong Kong (the SAR government and Xinhua). Hong Kong now has 136 members within the 2, 196-strong national body, including 115 delegates in a separate Hong Kong contingent and the remaining 21 scattered among various functional groups. The average age of Hong Kong delegates, at 75, is much higher than the average for the body as a whole.
39. According to Annex I of the 1990 Basic Law and Schedule 2 of Hong Kong's October 1997, Legislative Council Ordinance, the Election Committee responsible for electing 10 legislators in May 1998, was composed of 800 people divided into groups of 200 each from the following four sectors: (1) industry, finance, commerce; (2) the professions; (3) labor, social services, religion; (4) political leaders including all Hong Kong's NPC delegates; all provisional legislators; 21 members from the conservative council for Hong Kong's original rural residents, the Heung Yee Kuk (Xiangyiju - Rural Council); members of Hong Kong's regional and district councils; and the remainder (60) from the CPPCC contingent.
40. Wen Wei Po and Ming Pao Daily News, (31 October 1997);
41. Hong Kong Economic Journal, (11 December 1997).
42. Hong Kong Standard, (10 March 1998).
43. South China Morning Post, (5, 6, 7 and 8 March 1998).
44. South China Morning Post, (7 March 1998);
45. Hong Kong Standard, (13 March 1998).