Article 90 The Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal and the Chief Judge of the High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative¹ Region shall be Chinese citizens who are permanent residents of the Region with no right of abode² in any foreign country. In the case of the appointment or removal of judges of the Court of Final Appeal and the Chief Judge of the High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region， the Chief Executive shall， in addition to following the procedures prescribed in Articles 88 and 89 of this Law， obtain the endorsement³ of the Legislative⁴ Council and report such appointment or removal to the Standing⁵ Committee of the National People's Congress for the record.

　　Article 91 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall maintain the previous system of appointment and removal of members of the judiciary other than judges.

　　Article 92 Judges and other members of the judiciary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be chosen on the basis of their judicial⁶ and professional qualities and may be recruited from other common law jurisdictions⁷.

　　Article 93 Judges and other members of the judiciary serving in Hong Kong before the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may all remain in employment and retain their seniority with pay， allowances， benefits and conditions of service no less favourable⁸ than before.

　　The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall pay to judges and other members of the judiciary who retire or leave the service in compliance⁹ with regulations， including those who have retired¹⁰ or left the service before the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region， or to their dependants¹¹， all pensions， gratuities¹²， allowances and benefits due to them on terms no less favourable than before， irrespective of their nationality or place of residence.

　　Article 94 On the basis of the system previously¹³ operating in Hong Kong， the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may make provisions for local lawyers and lawyers from outside Hong Kong to work and practise in the Region.

　　Article 95 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may， through consultations¹⁵ and in accordance with law， maintain juridical relations with the judicial organs of other parts of the country， and they may render assistance to each other.

　　Article 96 With the assistance or authorization¹⁶ of the Central People's Government， the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may make appropriate arrangements with foreign states for reciprocal juridical assistance.

　　Section 5： District Organizations

　　Article 97 District organizations which are not organs of political power may be established in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region， to be consulted by the government of the Region on district administration and other affairs， or to be responsible for providing services in such fields as culture， recreation and environmental sanitation¹⁷.

　　Article 98 The powers and functions of the district organizations and the method for their formation shall be prescribed by law.

　　Section 6： Public Servants

　　Article 99 Public servants serving in all government departments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region must be permanent residents of the Region， except where otherwise provided for in Article 101 of this Law regarding public servants of foreign nationalities and except for those below a certain rank as prescribed by law. Public servants must be dedicated¹⁸ to their duties and be responsible to the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

　　Article 100 Public servants serving in all Hong Kong government departments， including the police department， before the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region， may all remain in employment and retain their seniority with pay， allowances， benefits and conditions of service no less favourable than before.

　　Article 101 The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may employ British and other foreign nationals previously serving in the public service in Hong Kong， or those holding permanent identity cards of the Region， to serve as public servants in government departments at all levels， but only Chinese citizens among permanent residents of the Region with no right of abode in any foreign country may fill the following posts： the Secretaries and Deputy Secretaries of Departments， Directors of Bureaux， Commissioner¹⁹ Against Corruption²⁰， Director of Audit²¹， Commissioner of Police， Director of Immigration and Commissioner of Customs and Excise²². The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may also employ British and other foreign nationals as advisers²³ to government departments and， when required， may recruit qualified²⁴ candidates from outside the Region to fill professional and technical posts in government departments. These foreign nationals shall be employed only in their individual capacities and shall be responsible to the government of the Region.

　　Article 102 The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall pay to public servants who retire or who leave the service in compliance with regulations， including those who have retired or who have left the service in compliance with regulations before the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region， or to their dependants， all pensions， gratuities， allowances and benefits due to them on terms no less favourable than before， irrespective of their nationality or place of residence.

　　Article 103 The appointment and promotion²⁵ of public servants shall be on the basis of their qualifications， experience and ability. Hong Kong's previous system of recruitment， employment， assessment²⁶， discipline， training and management for the public service， including special bodies for their appointment， pay and conditions of service， shall be maintained， except for any provisions for privileged treatment of foreign nationals.

　　Article 104 When assuming office， the Chief Executive， principal officials， members of the Executive Council and of the Legislative Council， judges of the courts at all levels and other members of the judiciary in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region must， in accordance with law， swear to uphold the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and swear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.

　　Chapter V Economy

　　Section 1： Public Finance， Monetary²⁷ Affairs， Trade， Industry and Commerce

　　Article 105 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall， in accordance with law， protect the right of individuals and legal persons to the acquisition， use， disposal and inheritance of property and their right to compensation for lawful²⁸ deprivation²⁹ of their property. Such compensation shall correspond to the real value of the property concerned at the time and shall be freely convertible³⁰ and paid without undue³¹ delay.

　　The ownership of enterprises and the investments from outside the Region shall be protected by law.

　　Article 106 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall have independent finances. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall use its financial revenues exclusively for its own purposes， and they shall not be handed over to the Central People's Government.

　　The Central People's Government shall not levy³² taxes in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

　　Article 107 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall follow the principle of keeping expenditure³³ within the limits of revenues in drawing up its budget， and strive to achieve a fiscal³⁴ balance， avoid deficits³⁵ and keep the budget commensurate with the growth rate of its gross domestic product.

　　Article 108 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall practise an independent taxation³⁶ system.

　　The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall， taking the low tax policy previously pursued in Hong Kong as reference， enact³⁷ laws on its own concerning types of taxes， tax rates， tax reductions， allowances and exemptions³⁸， and other matters of taxation.

　　Article 109 The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall provide an appropriate economic and legal environment for the maintenance of the status of Hong Kong as an international financial center.

　　Article 110 The monetary and financial systems of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be prescribed by law.

　　The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall， on its own， formulate³⁹ monetary and financial policies， safeguard the free operation of financial business and financial markets， and regulate and supervise them in accordance with law.

　　Article 111 The Hong Kong dollar， as the legal tender in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region， shall continue to circulate.

　　The authority to issue Hong Kong currency shall be vested in the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The issue of Hong Kong currency must be backed by a 100 per cent reserve fund. The system regarding the issue of Hong Kong currency and the reserve fund system shall be prescribed by law.

　　The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may authorize⁴⁰ designated banks to issue or continue to issue Hong Kong currency under statutory authority， after satisfying itself that any issue of currency will be soundly based and that the arrangements for such issue are consistent with the object of maintaining the stability of the currency.

　　Article 112 No foreign exchange control policies shall be applied⁴¹ in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Hong Kong dollar shall be freely convertible. Markets for foreign exchange， gold， securities， futures⁴² and the like shall continue. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall safeguard the free flow of capital within， into and out of the Region.

　　Article 113 The Exchange Fund of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be managed and controlled by the government of the Region， primarily for regulating the exchange value of the Hong Kong dollar.

　　Article 114 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall maintain the status of a free port and shall not impose any tariff⁴³ unless otherwise prescribed by law.

　　Article 115 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall pursue the policy of free trade and safeguard the free movement of goods， intangible assets and capital.

　　Article 116 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be a separate customs territory. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may， using the name“ Hong Kong， China”， participate in relevant international organizations and international trade agreements （including preferential trade arrangements）， such as the General Agreement on Tariffs⁴⁴ and Trade and arrangements regarding international trade in textiles. Export quotas⁴⁵， tariff preferences and other similar arrangements， which are obtained or made by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or which were obtained or made and remain valid⁴⁶， shall be enjoyed exclusively by the Region.

　　Article 117 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may issue its own certificates of origin for products in accordance with prevailing⁴⁷ rules of origin.

　　Article 118 The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall provide an economic and legal environment for encouraging investments， technological⁴⁸ progress and the development of new industries.

　　Article 119 The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall formulate appropriate policies to promote and coordinate⁴⁹ the development of various trades such as manufacturing， commerce， tourism， real estate， transport， public utilities， services， agriculture and fisheries， and pay regard to the protection of the environment.

　　Section 2： Land Leases

　　Article 120 All leases of land granted， decided⁵⁰ upon or renewed before the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region which extend beyond 30 June 1997， and all rights in relation to such leases， shall continue to be recognized and protected under the law of the Region.

　　Article 121 As regards all leases of land granted or renewed where the original leases contain no right of renewal⁵¹， during the period from 27 May 1985 to 30 June 1997， which extend beyond 30 June 1997 and expire not later than 30 June 2047， the lessee⁵² is not required to pay an additional premium⁵³ as from 1 July 1997， but an annual rent equivalent to 3 per cent of the rate able value of the property at that date， adjusted in step with any changes in the rate able value thereafter， shall be charged.

　　Article 122 In the case of old schedule lots， village lots， small houses and similar rural holdings， where the property was on 30 June 1984 held by， or， in the case of small houses granted after that date， where the property is granted to， a lessee descended⁵⁴ through the male line from a person who was in 1898 a resident of an established village in Hong Kong， the previous rent shall remain unchanged so long as the property is held by that lessee or by one of his lawful successors in the male line.

　　Article 123 Where leases of land without a right of renewal expire after the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region， they shall be dealt with in accordance with laws and policies formulated⁵⁵ by the Region on its own.

　　Section 3： Shipping⁵⁶

　　Article 124 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall maintain Hong Kong's previous systems of shipping management and shipping regulation， including the system for regulating conditions of seamen⁵⁷.

　　The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall， on its own， define its specific functions and responsibilities in respect of shipping.

　　Article 125 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be authorized⁵⁸ by the Central People's Government to continue to maintain a shipping register and issue related certificates under its legislation， using the name “Hong Kong， China”。

　　Article 126 With the exception of foreign warships⁵⁹， access for which requires the special permission of the Central People's Government， ships shall enjoy access to the ports of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in accordance with the laws of the Region.

　　Article 127 Private shipping businesses and shipping-related businesses and private container terminals in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may continue to operate freely.

　　Section 4： Civil Aviation

　　Article 128 The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall provide conditions and take measures for the maintenance of the status of Hong Kong as a centre of international and regional aviation.

　　Article 129 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall continue the previous system of civil aviation management in Hong Kong and keep its own aircraft register in accordance with provisions laid down by the Central People's Government concerning nationality marks and registration⁶⁰ marks of aircraft.

　　Access of foreign state aircraft to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall require the special permission of the Central People's Government.

　　Article 130 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be responsible on its own for matters of routine business and technical management of civil aviation， including the management of airports， the provision of air traffic services within the flight information region of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region， and the discharge of other responsibilities allocated⁶¹ to it under the regional air navigation procedures of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

　　Article 131 The Central People's Government shall， in consultation¹⁴ with the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region， make arrangements providing air services between the Region and other parts of the People's Republic of China for airlines incorporated in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and having their principal place of business in Hong Kong and other airlines of the People's Republic of China.

　　Article 132 All air service agreements providing air services between other parts of the People's Republic of China and other states and regions with stops at the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and air services between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and other states and regions with stops at other parts of the People's Republic of China shall be concluded by the Central People's Government.

　　In concluding the air service agreements referred to in the first paragraph of this Article， the Central People's Government shall take account of the special conditions and economic interests of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and consult the government of the Region.

　　Representatives of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may， as members of the delegations⁶⁴ of the Government of the People's Republic of China， participate in air service consultations conducted by the Central People's Government with foreign governments concerning arrangements for such services referred to in the first paragraph of this Article.

　　Article 133 Acting⁶⁵ under specific authorizations from the Central People's Government， the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may：

　　（1） renew or amend⁶⁶ air service agreements and arrangements previously in force；

　　（2） negotiate and conclude new air service agreements providing routes for airlines incorporated in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and having their principal place of business in Hong Kong and providing rights for over-flights and technical stops； and

　　（3） negotiate and conclude provisional arrangements with foreign states or regions with which no air service agreements have been concluded.

　　All scheduled air services to， from or through Hong Kong， which do not operate to， from or through the mainland of China shall be regulated by the air service agreements or provisional arrangements referred to in this Article.

　　Article 134 The Central People's Government shall give the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region the authority to：

　　（1） negotiate and conclude with other authorities all arrangements concerning the implementation⁶⁸ of the air service agreements and provisional arrangements referred to in Article 133 of this Law；

　　（2） issue licences to airlines incorporated in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and having their principal place of business in Hong Kong；

　　（3） designate such airlines under the air service agreements and provisional arrangements referred to in Article 133 of this Law； and

　　（4） issue permits to foreign airlines for services other than those to， from or through the mainland of China.

　　Article 135 Airlines incorporated and having their principal place of business in Hong Kong and businesses related to civil aviation functioning there prior to the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may continue to operate.

　　Chapter VI Education， Science， Culture， Sports， Religion， Labour and Social Services

　　Article 136 On the basis of the previous educational system， the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall， on its own， formulate policies on the development and improvement of education， including policies regarding the educational system and its administration， the language of instruction， the allocation of funds， the examination system， the system of academic awards and the recognition of educational qualifications. Community organizations and individuals may， in accordance with law， run educational undertakings⁶⁹ of various kinds in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

　　Article 137 Educational institutions of all kinds may retain their autonomy and enjoy academic freedom. They may continue to recruit staff and use teaching materials from outside the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

　　Schools run by religious organizations may continue to provide religious education， including courses in religion. Students shall enjoy freedom of choice of educational institutions and freedom to pursue their education outside the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

　　Article 138 The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall， on its own， formulate policies to develop Western and traditional Chinese medicine and to improve medical and health services. Community organizations and individuals may provide various medical and health services in accordance with law.

　　Article 139 The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall， on its own， formulate policies on science and technology and protect by law achievements in scientific and technological research， patents， discoveries and inventions. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall， on its own， decide on the scientific and technological standards and specifications⁷⁰ applicable in Hong Kong.

　　Article 140 The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall， on its own， formulate policies on culture and protect by law the achievements and the lawful rights and interests of authors in their literary and artistic⁷¹ creation.

　　Article 141 The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall not restrict the freedom of religious belief， interfere⁷² in the internal affairs of religious organizations or restrict religious activities which do not contravene⁷³ the laws of the Region.

　　Religious organizations shall， in accordance with law， enjoy the rights to acquire， use， dispose of and inherit property and the right to receive financial assistance. Their previous property rights and interests shall be maintained and protected. Religious organizations may， according to their previous practice， continue to run seminaries and other schools， hospitals and welfare institutions and to provide other social services.

　　Religious organizations and believers in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may maintain and develop their relations with religious organizations and believers elsewhere.

　　Article 142 The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall， on the basis of maintaining the previous systems concerning the professions， formulate provisions on its own for assessing the qualifications for practice in the various professions. Persons with professional qualifications or qualifications for professional practice obtained prior to the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may retain their previous qualifications in accordance with the relevant regulations and codes of practice.

　　The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall continue to recognize the professions and the professional organizations recognized prior to the establishment of the Region， and these organizations may， on their own， assess and confer professional qualifications.

　　The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may， as required by developments in society and in consultation with the parties concerned， recognize new professions and professional organizations.

　　Article 143 The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall， on its own， formulate policies on sports. Non-governmental sports organizations may continue to exist and develop in accordance with law.

　　Article 144 The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall maintain the policy previously practised in Hong Kong in respect of subventions for non-governmental organizations in fields such as education， medicine and health， culture， art， recreation， sports， social welfare and social work. Staff members previously serving in subvented organizations in Hong Kong may remain in their employment in accordance with the previous system.

　　Article 145 On the basis of the previous social welfare system， the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall， on its own， formulate policies on the development and improvement of this system in the light of the economic conditions and social needs.

　　Article 146 Voluntary organizations providing social services in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may， on their own， decide their forms of service， provided that the law is not contravened⁷⁴.

　　Article 147 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall on its own formulate laws and policies relating to labour.

　　Article 148 The relationship between non-governmental organizations in fields such as education， science， technology， culture， art， sports， the professions， medicine and health， labour， social welfare and social work as well as religious organizations in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and their counterparts on the mainland shall be based on the principles of non-subordination， non-interference and mutual⁷⁵ respect.

　　Article 149 Non-governmental organizations in fields such as education， science， technology， culture， art， sports， the professions， medicine and health， labour， social welfare and social work as well as religious organizations in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may maintain and develop relations with their counterparts in foreign countries and regions and with relevant international organizations. They may， as required， use the name “Hong Kong， China” in the relevant activities.

　　Chapter VII External Affairs

　　Article 150 Representatives of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may， as members of delegations of the Government of the People's Republic of China， participate in negotiations⁷⁶ at the diplomatic level directly affecting the Region conducted by the Central People's Government.

　　Article 151 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may on its own， using the name “Hong Kong， China”， maintain and develop relations and conclude and implement⁶⁷ agreements with foreign states and regions and relevant international organizations in the appropriate fields， including the economic， trade， financial and monetary， shipping， communications， tourism， cultural and sports fields.

　　Article 152 Representatives of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may， as members of delegations of the People's Republic of China， participate in international organizations or conferences in appropriate fields limited to states and affecting the Region， or may attend in such other capacity as may be permitted by the Central People's Government and the international organization or conference concerned， and may express their views， using the name “Hong Kong， China”。

　　The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may， using the name “Hong Kong， China”， participate in international organizations and conferences not limited to states. The Central People's Government shall take the necessary steps to ensure that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall continue to retain its status in an appropriate capacity in those international organizations of which the People's Republic of China is a member and in which Hong Kong participates in one capacity or another.

　　The Central People's Government shall， where necessary， facilitate the continued participation⁷⁷ of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in an appropriate capacity in those international organizations in which Hong Kong is a participant in one capacity or another， but of which the People's Republic of China is not a member.

　　Article 153 The application to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of international agreements to which the People's Republic of China is or becomes a party shall be decided by the Central People's Government， in accordance with the circumstances and needs of the Region， and after seeking the views of the government of the Region. International agreements to which the People's Republic of China is not a party but which are implemented⁷⁸ in Hong Kong may continue to be implemented in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Central People's Government shall， as necessary， authorize or assist the government of the Region to make appropriate arrangements for the application to the Region of other relevant international agreements.

　　Article 154 The Central People's Government shall authorize the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to issue， in accordance with law， passports of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China to all Chinese citizens who hold permanent identity cards of the Region， and travel documents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China to all other persons lawfully⁷⁹ residing in the Region. The above passports and documents shall be valid for all states and regions and shall record the holder's right to return to the Region. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may apply immigration controls on entry into， stay in and departure from the Region by persons from foreign states and regions.

　　Article 155 The Central People's Government shall assist or authorize the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to conclude visa abolition⁸⁰ agreements with foreign states or regions.

　　Article 156 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may， as necessary， establish official or semi-official economic and trade missions in foreign countries and shall report the establishment of such missions to the Central People's Government for the record.

　　Article 157 The establishment of foreign consular⁸¹ and other official or semi-official missions in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall require the approval of the Central People's Government.

　　Consular and other official missions established in Hong Kong by states which have formal diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China may be maintained. According to the circumstances of each case， consular and other official missions established in Hong Kong by states which have no formal diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China may be permitted either to remain or be changed to semi-official missions.

　　States not recognized by the People's Republic of China may only establish non-governmental institutions in the Region.

　　Chapter VIII Interpretation⁸² and Amendment⁸³ of the Basic Law

　　Article 158 The power of interpretation of this Law shall be vested in the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

　　The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress shall authorize the courts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to interpret on their own， in adjudicating cases， the provisions of this Law which are within the limits of the autonomy of the Region.

　　The courts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may also interpret other provisions of this Law in adjudicating cases. However， if the courts of the Region， in adjudicating cases， need to interpret the provisions of this Law concerning affairs which are the responsibility of the Central People's Government， or concerning the relationship between the Central Authorities and the Region， and if such interpretation will affect the judgments⁸⁴ on the cases， the courts of the Region shall， before making their final judgments which are not appeal able， seek an interpretation of the relevant provisions from the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress through the Court of Final Appeal of the Region. When the Standing Committee makes an interpretation of the provisions concerned， the courts of the Region， in applying those provisions， shall follow the interpretation of the Standing Committee. However， judgments previously rendered shall not be affected⁸⁵.

　　The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress shall consult its Committee for the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region before giving an interpretation of this Law.

　　Article 159 The power of amendment of this Law shall be vested in the National people's Congress. The power to propose bills for amendments⁸⁶ to this Law shall be vested in the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress， the State Council and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Amendment bills from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be submitted to the National People's Congress by the delegation⁶³ of the Region to the National People's Congress after obtaining the consent of two-thirds of the deputies of the Region to the National People's Congress， two-thirds of all the members of the Legislative Council of the Region， and the Chief Executive of the Region. Before a bill for amendment to this Law is put on the agenda of the National People's Congress， the Committee for the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall study it and submit its views. No amendment to this Law shall contravene the established basic policies of the People's Republic of China regarding Hong Kong.

　　Chapter IX Supplementary⁸⁷ Provisions

　　Article 160 Upon the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region， the laws previously in force in Hong Kong shall be adopted as laws of the Region except for those which the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress declares to be in contravention of this Law. If any laws are later discovered to be in contravention of this Law， they shall be amended⁸⁸ or cease to have force in accordance with the procedure as prescribed by this Law.

　　Documents， certificates， contracts， and rights and obligations valid under the laws previously in force in Hong Kong shall continue to be valid and be recognized and protected by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region， provided that they do not contravene this Law.

　　Annex⁸⁹ I：

　　Method for the Selection of the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

　　1. The Chief Executive shall be elected by a broadly representative Election Committee in accordance with this Law and appointed by the Central People's Government.

　　2. The Election Committee shall be composed of 800 members from the following sectors⁹¹：

　　Industrial， commercial and financial sectors 200

　　The professions 200

　　Labour， social services， religious and other sectors 200

　　Members of the Legislative Council， representatives of district-based organizations， Hong Kong deputies to the National People's Congress， and representatives of Hong Kong members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference 200

　　The term of office of the Election Committee shall be five years.

　　3. The delimitation of the various sectors， the organizations in each sector⁹⁰ eligible⁹² to return Election Committee members and the number of such members returned by each of these organizations shall be prescribed by an electoral law enacted⁹³ by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in accordance with the principles of democracy and openness.

　　Corporate⁶² bodies in various sectors shall， on their own， elect members to the Election Committee， in accordance with the number of seats allocated and the election method as prescribed by the electoral law.

　　Members of the Election Committee shall vote in their individual capacities.

　　4. Candidates for the office of Chief Executive may be nominated jointly⁹⁴ by not less than 100 members of the Election Committee.

　　Each member may nominate only one candidate.

　　5. The Election Committee shall， on the basis of the list of nominees⁹⁵， elect the Chief Executive designate by secret ballot⁹⁶ on a one-person-one-vote basis. The specific election method shall be prescribed by the electoral law.

　　6. The first Chief Executive shall be selected in accordance with the “Decision of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China on the Method for the Formation of the First Government and the First Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region”。

　　7. If there is a need to amend the method for selecting the Chief Executives for the terms subsequent to the year 2007， such amendments must be made with the endorsement of a two-thirds majority of all the members of the Legislative Council and the consent of the Chief Executive， and they shall be reported to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for approval.

　　Annex II：

　　Method for the Formation of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Its Voting Procedures I. Method for the formation of the Legislative Council

　　1. The Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be composed of 60 members in each term. In the first term， the Legislative Council shall be formed in accordance with the “Decision of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China on the Method for the Formation of the First Government and the First Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region”。 The composition of the Legislative Council in the second and third terms shall be as follows：

　　Second term

　　Members returned by functional⁹⁷ constituencies 30

　　Members returned by the Election Committee 6

　　Members returned by geographical⁹⁸ constituencies through direct elections 24

　　Third term

　　Members returned by functional constituencies 30

　　Members returned by geographical constituencies through direct elections 30

　　2. Except in the case of the first Legislative Council， the above-mentioned Election Committee refers to the one provided for in Annex I of this Law.

　　The division of geographical constituencies and the voting method for direct elections therein； the delimitation of functional sectors and corporate bodies， their seat allocation and election methods； and the method for electing members of the Legislative Council by the Election Committee shall be specified⁹⁹ by an electoral law introduced by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and passed by the Legislative Council.

　　II. Procedures for voting on bills and motions in the Legislative Council Unless otherwise provided for in this Law， the Legislative Council shall adopt the following procedures for voting on bills and motions：

　　The passage of bills introduced by the government shall require at least a simple majority vote of the members of the Legislative Council present. The passage of motions， bills or amendments to government bills introduced by individual members of the Legislative Council shall require a simple majority vote of each of the two groups of members present： members returned by functional constituencies and those returned by geographical constituencies through direct elections and by the Election Committee.

　　III. Method for the formation of the Legislative Council and its voting procedures subsequent to the year 2007 With regard to the method for forming the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and its procedures for voting on bills and motions after 2007， if there is a need to amend the provisions of this Annex， such amendments must be made with the endorsement of a two-thirds majority of all the members of the Council and the consent of the Chief Executive， and they shall be reported to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for the record.

　　Annex III：

　　National Laws to be Applied in the Hong Kong special Administrative Region The following national laws shall be applied locally with effect from 1 July 1997 by way of promulgation¹⁰⁰ or legislation by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region：

　　1. Resolution on the Capital， Calendar， National Anthem¹⁰¹ and National Flag of the People's Republic of China.

　　2. Resolution on the National Day of the People's Republic of China.

　　3. Order on the National Emblem¹⁰² of the People's Republic of China Proclaimed by the Central People's Government.

　　Attached： Design of the national emblem notes of explanation and instructions for use.

　　4. Declaration of the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Territorial¹⁰³ Sea.

　　5. Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China.

　　6. Regulations of the People's Republic of China Concerning Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities¹⁰⁴.

　　The Design of the Regional Flag and the Design of the Regional Emblem of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China see page 90 of this book

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