Hong Kong's media made the focal report Wednesday on the interpretation over the Basic Law by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), saying the act is conducive to Hong Kong's constitutional development and its long-term stability and prosperity.
Wenweipo's commentary said the core of contents of the interpretation is to clarify the amendment mechanism concerning annexes of the Basic law. the NPC Standing Committee's act shows the central authorities' determination to handle Hong Kong affairs in accordance with the Basic law.
The commentary said that the interpretation is aimed at setting up an authoritative legal basis for the constitutional development, not at stopping it.
Hong Kong people should take advantage of the interpretation to explore rational discussions, said the article.
Takunpao said the interpretation is not the modification on the Basic Law. The NPC Standing Committee has the very right to clarify the Basic Law in order to avoid confusions and differences.
An article of China Daily HK Edition titled "Beijing's power on change actual, real" said that the central government has the final say in changes in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR)'s political system. This point may be even more important than the interpretation exercise itself.
The fact that the central authorities have the power to decide on the SAR's political system is not an issue at all, said the article.
It said that the power to make decisions on the SAR's constitutional development rests with the central government is beyond question. As a local administrative region in a unitary country, Hong Kong, like all other provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities on the mainland, cannot determine its own political system. It must be decided by the central authorities under the premise of united sovereignty.
Furthermore, since Hong Kong's political system has been decided by the Standing Committee of the NPC through the provisions of the Basic Law, whether the system needs changes ought to be determined by this supreme state organ as well, said the article.
By giving an official interpretation of the electoral provisions of the Basic Law, the NPC Standing Committee has demonstrated to Hong Kong and the world its determination to act in strict accordance with the Basic Law and to maintain its leading role in the SAR's constitutional development, said the article.
(Xinhua News Agency April 7, 2004)
