Country name:
conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
conventional short form: Hong Kong
local short form: Xianggang
local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu
abbreviation: HK
Dependency status:
special administrative region of China
Government type:
limited democracy
Administrative divisions:
none (special administrative region of China)
Independence:
none (special administrative region of China)
National holiday:
National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic
of China), 1 October (1949); note - 1 July 1997 is celebrated as
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day
Constitution:
Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's
Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
Legal system:
based on English common law
Suffrage:
direct election 18 years of age; universal for permanent residents
living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years;
indirect election limited to about 100,000 members of functional
constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad
regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government
bodies
Executive branch:
chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)
head of government: Chief Executive TUNG Chee-hwa (since 1 July 1997)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex-officio members and
10 appointed members; ex-officio members are: Chief Secretary Donald
TSANG Yam-kuen (since 1 May 2001), Financial Secretary Antony LEUNG
(since 1 May 2001), and Secretary of Justice Elsie LEUNG (since 1
July 1997)
elections: TUNG Chee-Hwa was elected to a second term in March 2002
by an 800-member election committee dominated by pro-Beijing forces;
the next election is scheduled to be held in 2007
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats; 30 indirectly
elected by functional constituencies, 24 elected by popular vote,
and 6 elected by an 800-member election committee; members serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held 10 September 2000 (next to be held in September
2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
Democratic Party 12, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong
Kong 10, Liberal Party 7, Frontier Party 5, Hong Kong Progressive
Alliance 4, New Century Forum 2, Hong Kong Association for Democracy
and People's Livelihood 1, independents 19
Judicial branch:
Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Political parties and leaders:
Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood [Frederick FUNG
Kin-kee, chairman]; Citizens Party [Alex CHAN Kai-chung]; Democratic
Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong [Jasper TSANG Yok-sing,
chairman]; Democratic Party [Martin LEE Chu-ming, chairman];
Frontier Party [Emily LAU Wai-hing, chairwoman]; Hong Kong
Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood [leader NA]; Hong
Kong Progressive Alliance [Ambrose LAU Hon-chuen]; Liberal Party
[James TIEN Pei-chun, chairman]; New Century Forum [NQ Ching-fai,
chairman]
note: political blocs include: pro-democracy - Association for
Democracy and People's Livelihood, Citizens Party, Democratic Party,
Frontier Party; pro-Beijing - Democratic Alliance for the Betterment
of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Progressive Alliance, Liberal Party, New
Century Forum
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Chinese
Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade
Unions (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE Cheuk-yan,
general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Federation
of Trade Unions (pro-China) [LEE Chark-tim, president]; Hong Kong
Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China
[Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council
(pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Hong Kong
Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNG Man-kwong, president]; Liberal
Democratic Federation [HU Fa-kuang, chairman]
International organization participation:
APEC, AsDB, BIS, ESCAP (associate), ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMO
(associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL,
WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (special administrative region of China)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Consul General James KEITH
consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong
mailing address: PSC 461, Box 1, FPO AP 96521-0006
telephone: [852] 2523-9011
FAX: [852] 2524-0860
Flag description:
red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center