Decision of the National People's Congress on
the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region of the People's Republic of China
Adopted at the Third Session of the
Seventh National People's Congress on 4 April 1990
The Third Session of the Seventh National People's Congress has adopted the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, which includes Annex I, Method for the Selection of the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Annex II, Method for the Formation of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Its Voting Procedures, Annex III, National Laws to be Applied in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and designs of the regional flag and regional emblem of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Article 31 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China provides: "The state may establish special administrative regions when necessary. The systems to be instituted in special administrative regions shall be prescribed by law enacted by the National People's Congress in the light of the specific conditions." The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is constitutional as it is enacted in accordance with the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and in the light of the specific conditions of Hong Kong. The systems, policies and laws to be instituted after the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be based on the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China shall be put into effect as of 1 July 1997.
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