Glance from Kowloon on the skyline of Hong Kong. [Photo/VCG] Subsequent to the British House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee's report that attempts to tarnish the implementation of one country, two systems in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region by coining the new term one country, one and a half systems, a group of British politicians went a step further on Monday by trying to intervene in the SAR's legislative process. In a brazen intervention in the internal affairs of the SAR, 14 Members of Parliament suggested the British government consider whether the proposed amendment to Hong Kong's extradition law, which was tabled last Wednesday at the Legislative Council, may affect existing rendition agreements between London and Hong Kong. The amendment is intended to plug a legal loophole which has threatened to turn Hong Kong into a haven for criminals, as at present fugitives cannot be returned to other parts of China and be brought to justice. The SAR government has already pointed out the proposed amendment strictly follows international protocols for rendition, such as it not being for political, racial or religious reasons, and the crimes involved must be indictable in both places. Moreover, all requests for rendition will be vetted by local courts, whose professionalism is world-renowned; and only crimes punishable by three years of imprisonment or more will be considered. Hong Kong's rule of law is among the best in the world and the British government knows this very well. In the 2019 World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, Hong Kong ranks 16th out of 126 countries and regions studied. The move by the British MPs was apparently a follow-up to the parliamentary report as well as the British government's earlier six-monthly report to Parliament, which made similar accusations. The central and SAR governments have rightly and categorically rejected the ridiculous claims. The six-monthly report and the parliamentary report both claim that the two systems in the one country, two systems principle has been undermined by the central government, but the incidents they cite as proof, such as the banning of separatist organizations and disqualification of lawmakers violating the oath-taking law, only reveal their true purpose. As far as the implementation of the one country, two systems principle in the SAR is concerned, the British are deliberately trying to skew it to justify interference by the British government. China does not need Britain's instructions on how to maintain sovereign rule over Hong Kong. And Britain should accept that Hong Kong is not its responsibility anymore. China's National People's Congress drew up Hong Kong's Basic Law in accordance with the country's Constitution. That is why one country comes before two systems, not the other way around. cheap custom rubber bracelets no minimumbracelet en silicone nikepretty little liars bracelet customsilicone wristbands canadarubber bracelets amazon
Paul Chan (left), HK's financial secretary, and Vice-Minister of Commerce Fu Ziying shake hands during the signing ceremony of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement Agreement on Trade in Goods. ROY LIU/CHINA DAILY The central government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government have inked an updated version of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangements (CEPA) - a step that would boost the trading of goods between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. The Agreement on Trade in Goods under the CEPA framework was signed on Friday in the presence of Fu Ziying, international trade representative and vice-minister of commerce and Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, the chief executive of HKSAR. Under the agreement, goods of Hong Kong origin imported into the mainland will enjoy zero tariffs, starting from January 2019, through the enhanced agreement or rules of origin (ROO). Besides, a general ROO - based on the calculation of the value added to the products in Hong Kong - has also been introduced under the agreement, allowing products without product-specific ROOs at present to enjoy zero tariffs while being imported into the mainland subject to fulfillment of the general ROO. At the same time, the agreement establishes principles of trade facilitation and sets out measures to expedite Customs clearance of goods with a view to facilitating movement of goods in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, thereby enhancing the Customs clearance capacity and efficiency of the control points in Guangdong and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the facilitation measures also include simplifying Customs procedures, enhancing transparency of related measures and strengthening cooperation in the relevant areas. The CEPA upgrade signifies that the mainland and Hong Kong have established a comprehensive, independent Customs territory, and entered into a brand-new phase of cooperation, said Fu Ziying, adding that the signing of the agreement would lead to more collaboration platforms afterward. The Agreement on Trade in Goods is an ever-evolving and dynamic protocol, said Paul Chan Mo-po, financial secretary of Hong Kong SAR, adding that the upgrade of CEPA this time is a milestone for the economic and trade cooperation between the mainland and the SAR. The CEPA, which has been on for 15 years, offers Hong Kong enterprises the most favorable conditions for doing businesses on the mainland, while the ceaseless efforts of SAR entrepreneurs in the mainland market have been a catalyst for economic transformation and upgrading, as well as industrial modernization, said Chan. Hong Kong will embark on further liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, and further enrich the CEPA framework, added Chan, in an effort to fully utilize the potential of the mainland market. The central government also signed the Agreement on Trade in Goods under the updated version of CEPA with the Macao SAR government on Wednesday, which finalized 19 policy measures for mutually beneficial cooperation, further tearing down barriers for cross-border trade between the two sides.
