General situation of Hong Kong and Macao

China Net | Time: 2005165438+10.7 | Article Source: Website of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong.

I. Geography, population and language

Geography The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is located in the south of the Pearl River Delta, east of the Pearl River Estuary, east of the South China Sea and north of the Shenzhen River, with a land area of 65,438+065,438+003 square kilometers. It consists of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, New Territories and more than 260 outlying islands. Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula are the political, economic, cultural and transportation centers of Hong Kong. Hong Kong has a subtropical maritime climate with an average annual temperature of 23.3 degrees Celsius.

Population By mid-2003, the total population of Hong Kong was 6.82 million, of which 94.4% were from China and 5.6% were foreigners, with a population density of 6,320 people per square kilometer.

Language According to the Basic Law, in addition to Chinese, the executive authorities, legislature and judiciary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may also use English, both of which are official languages. Cantonese is the most commonly used language in Hong Kong.

Second, history.

Three unequal treaties Hong Kong has been the territory of China since ancient times. 1840 Britain launched the Opium War, which forced the Qing government to sign the treaty of nanking on 1842 and cede Hong Kong Island. 1856, the British and French allied forces launched the second Opium War, forcing the Qing government to sign the Beijing Treaty in 1860, ceding the southern tip of Kowloon Peninsula, that is, the area south of today's Jiejie. After the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1898, Britain forced the Qing government to sign the "Special Provisions on Expanding the Hong Kong Border" in 1898, and forcibly leased a large area of land in the northern part of Kowloon Peninsula north of Boundary Street and south of Shenzhen River and more than 230 nearby islands (hereinafter referred to as "New Territories") for 99 years.

Sino-British negotiations on the Hong Kong issue In the early 1980s, under the guidance of the principle of "one country, two systems" put forward by Mr. Deng Xiaoping, the China government began negotiations with the British government on the settlement of the Hong Kong issue. From 1982 to 10, the Chinese and British governments held 22 rounds of formal negotiations on the Hong Kong issue and finally reached an agreement on 1984. 19 February 19, Premier China and the British Prime Minister signed the Joint Statement of the Government of People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Government of the United Kingdom on the Hong Kong issue (hereinafter referred to as the Sino-British Joint Statement) in Beijing. 1985 On May 27th, the two governments exchanged instruments of ratification in Beijing, and the Sino-British Joint Declaration came into effect. Before China resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, Hong Kong entered a transitional period of 12 years.

Tung Chee-hwa was elected as the candidate for the first Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region by the first Selection Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on 1 996+February1. 1On June 24th, 1997, Tung Chee-hwa appointed members of the first Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region upon the appointment of the central government. On February 20th, the central government appointed 23 principal officials of the first SAR government on the nomination of Tung Chee-hwa. 1At midnight on June 30, 1997, the handover ceremony of the Chinese and British governments in Hong Kong was held in the new wing of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. The PLA troops stationed in Hong Kong also arrived in various camps in Hong Kong for effective defense, marking the official resumption of the exercise of sovereignty by the China government and the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) Special Administrative Region.

Third, the political structure

The head of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is the Chief Executive, who is responsible to the Central Committee on behalf of the Region. The SAR Government is the administrative organ of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The decision-making departments of the SAR Government are responsible for formulating policies and introducing bills. Departments and offices are responsible for implementing laws and policies and providing direct services to the public. The Executive Council is responsible for advising the Chief Executive on important policy decisions.

As the legislature of the SAR, the Legislative Council is responsible for enacting, amending and repealing laws in accordance with the provisions of the Basic Law and legal procedures, examining and approving budgets according to government proposals, approving taxes and public expenditures, and supervising the work of administrative organs. At the same time, there are also non-political regional organizations in the SAR, namely 18 District Councils, which are consulted by the Hong Kong SAR Government on matters such as district management, or are responsible for providing services such as culture, recreation and environmental sanitation.

The courts at all levels in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region are the judicial organs of the Region and exercise the judicial power of the Region. The judicial organs of the HKSAR include the Court of Final Appeal, the High Court, the District Court, the Magistrates' Court and other specialized courts. The High Court has a court of appeal and a court of first instance.

The SAR Government has implemented the accountability system for principal officials since July 1 2002. According to this system, the original three departments of the SAR Government 16 Bureau were reorganized into three departments 1 1 Bureau. The three Directors of Bureaux and 1 1 Directors of Bureaux are principal officials under the accountability system, and they are no longer civil servants. They are "politically appointed" by the Chief Executive and are directly responsible to the Chief Executive. Departments and directors are appointed by contract for the same term as the Chief Executive to be appointed.

The Chief Executive may terminate their contracts at any time; All principal officials under the accountability system are members of the Executive Council; Principal officials under the accountability system are responsible for the policies within their purview, and they may have to leave their posts in case of serious mistakes or personal integrity problems.

Fourth, the legal system

Hong Kong belongs to the common law system. According to the Basic Law, the laws previously in force in Hong Kong shall be maintained unless they contravene the Basic Law or are amended by the legislature of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. At present, the laws applicable to the HKSAR are the Basic Law, the national laws listed in Annex III to the Basic Law, the laws previously in force in Hong Kong and the laws enacted by the legislature of the HKSAR. The HKSAR enjoys legislative power. According to the Basic Law, the HKSAR enjoys independent judicial power and the power of final adjudication, but the courts of the HKSAR have no jurisdiction over acts of state such as national defense and foreign affairs. The principle of the jury system previously practiced in Hong Kong shall be retained.

Verb (abbreviation for verb) Economic situation

Hong Kong is a highly extroverted city. In the past 20 years, the overall economy has more than tripled. Per capita GDP (US$ 23,030 in 2003) is second only to Japan in Asia. Hong Kong's economic strength is very strong. By the end of August 2004, China's foreign exchange reserves were 65,438+/kloc-0.85 billion US dollars, ranking fifth in the world. The economic structure of Hong Kong is dominated by the service industry, with the primary, secondary and tertiary industries accounting for about 0. 1%, 13% and 87% respectively. Among them, finance, real estate, trade and logistics account for about 35% of GDP.

Hong Kong is a major international financial, trade, shipping, tourism and information center in the Asia-Pacific region. At present, it is the 11th largest trading entity, 12th largest banking center, 6th largest foreign exchange trading market and 2nd largest stock market in Asia. It has the busiest container port in the world and is also a major gold trading center. Hong Kong is one of the most open economies in the world, and goods and capital can enter freely. It has been rated as one of the freest and most competitive economies in the world by international organizations for many years.

The Hong Kong Government has always pursued a market-led free economic policy, created a favorable business environment, encouraged fair competition, and defended and promoted Hong Kong's commercial interests internationally. Since 1983 and 10, Hong Kong has implemented the linked exchange rate system linked to the US dollar, and fixed the exchange rate of the Hong Kong dollar at 1 US dollar to HK$ 7.8 to maintain the stability of the currency exchange rate.

Hong Kong has a simple and low tax system and adopts the concept of territorial source tax system, that is, only income from Hong Kong is taxed. The main taxes are profits tax, salaries tax and property tax, gambling tax, stamp duty on property and stock transactions, and taxes on certain designated commodities such as cigarettes, alcohol and hydrocarbon oil. Other sources of government revenue include government service fees, rates, land funds, property and investment returns, and land transaction income.

Hong Kong's service industry plays an important role in the economy. The financial service industry is mainly manifested in the developed banking industry. Of the 65,438+000 largest banks in the world, 74 operate in Hong Kong, with foreign currency as the main business, and about 55% of them are foreign currency, mainly engaged in retail and wholesale banking. Hong Kong is also one of the most open insurance centers in the world. Service trade mainly includes civil aviation, shipping, tourism, trade-related services and tourism services. In terms of the total value of service exports, Hong Kong ranks ninth in the world after Japan in the Asia-Pacific region. After nearly 20 years of development, the service industry in Hong Kong has risen from 67% in 1980 to 87% in 2002. At present, there are more than 270,000 service organizations in Hong Kong, accounting for about 94% of the total number of commercial organizations in Hong Kong, employing about 1.95 million workers, accounting for about 89% of the total number of employees in commercial organizations in Hong Kong.

Since the reform and opening up in China Mainland from 65438 to 0978, the economic ties between Hong Kong and the Mainland have become increasingly close, and trade and investment have increased substantially. The mainland is the largest trading partner of Hong Kong, and Hong Kong is also the third largest trading partner and the second largest export market of the mainland. Hong Kong is the largest source of foreign investment in the Mainland. In addition to providing direct investment, it also raises funds for the mainland, mainly through bank loans and issuing bonds and stocks. In terms of direct investment, by the end of June 2004, the actual direct investment of Hong Kong in the Mainland reached US$ 233 billion, accounting for about 44% of the total foreign direct investment absorbed by the Mainland. The mainland also has huge investments in Hong Kong. At present, there are more than 2,000 Chinese-funded enterprises in Hong Kong officially approved by the state, with total assets reaching US$ 220 billion. Chinese-funded enterprises have become an important part of Hong Kong's economy, and their business covers almost all fields. The market share of Chinese-funded enterprises in shipping and tourism is about 25%. Deposits from Chinese banks account for 23% of total bank deposits in Hong Kong, while loans account for 22%. The market share of China construction industry is about 65,438+05%. By the end of 2003 10, there were 247 mainland state-owned enterprises and Chinese-funded enterprises listed in Hong Kong, accounting for 24% of the total number of listed companies in Hong Kong. The market value is about 1 439.8 billion Hong Kong dollars, accounting for 28% of the total market value of the Hong Kong stock market.

In June 2003, the Mainland and Hong Kong signed the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), which took effect on June 65438+ 10/day, 2004. Many products and services from Hong Kong enjoy preferential treatment when entering the Mainland, among which 273 products from Hong Kong enjoy zero tariff, and 18 service industry enjoys preferential market opening. In mid-2004, the Mainland and Hong Kong signed the second phase agreement of Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement. Since August 2003, residents of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong and nine cities in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian provinces can travel to Hong Kong in their personal capacity (that is, "free travel"). (Note: As of June 2004 165438+ 10) (Supplementary information: Since July 28, 2003, with the approval of the State Council, Guangdong, Beijing and Shanghai, Fuzhou (limited to urban areas), Xiamen and Quanzhou in Fujian, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi and Zhejiang in Jiangsu. From May 2006 1, Nanchang in Jiangxi Province, Changsha in Hunan Province, Nanning in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Haikou in Hainan Province, Guiyang in Guizhou Province and Kunming in Yunnan Province were added. By the end of June, 2005, the exit-entry administration department of the public security organs had approved 210.52 million applications for entry-exit permits for mainland residents, including 9.455 million trips to Hong Kong115.97 million trips to Macao. Source: Zhongxin. Com, April 20, 2006)

VI. Public Transport and Mass Media

Hong Kong has a developed three-dimensional transportation system of land, sea and air, and public transportation is very developed. The total length of traffic roads in Hong Kong is 65,438+0,936 kilometers, and there are 65,438+02 road tunnels (including three cross-harbour tunnels), of which seven are government tunnels and the other five are private tunnels. The main means of transportation include railways, buses, minibuses and taxis, as well as trams, ferries and cable cars. The average daily passenger capacity of public transport in Hong Kong accounts for about 90% of the total passenger capacity. Licensed private cars account for 64.8% of the total number of vehicles in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is a media center in the Asia-Pacific region and an international information center with developed media and information technology. About 96 international media organizations have offices in Hong Kong. Hongkong * * * has 854 registered publications, including 44 newspapers (2 1 Chinese newspaper) and 8 10 periodicals (556 chinese magazine). It is the largest Chinese publishing center in the world and one of the regions with the largest number of newspaper readers in Asia. There are over 200 local and non-local TV channels in Hong Kong, which broadcast programs in different languages. Two free TV service licensees are TVB Television Broadcasting Co., Ltd. and Asia Television Co., Ltd., five pay TV service licensees and 65,438+04 non-local TV service licensees can provide pay program services to nearly 2,654.38+million households, and more than 720,000 residential or commercial building users can use satellite TV antenna systems. In addition, Hong Kong Phoenix Satellite TV is an international Chinese satellite electronic media, and its satellite programs cover nearly 100 countries and regions in Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania. There are three radio stations in Hong Kong, Radio Television Hong Kong is a public radio station, and Hong Kong Commercial Broadcasting Company Limited and Metro Broadcasting Company Limited are private radio stations.

As the government's public relations consultant, the Information Services Department of the SAR Government is responsible for the government's publication, publicity and news work. It is a bridge between the government and the media. Through the media, the public can have a clearer understanding of the government's policies, work and services. (Note: As of June 2004, 1 1)

Seven. Hong Kong's links with foreign countries

The HKSAR Government has set up 10 economic and trade offices in foreign countries, which are located in Geneva, Brussels, London, Toronto, Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney, Washington, new york and San Francisco. Apart from the Geneva Economic and Trade Office, which is mainly responsible for representing Hong Kong in WTO affairs, other economic and trade offices are mainly responsible for promoting Hong Kong's economic and trade interests in relevant countries or regions. Economic and trade offices play an important role in promoting foreign trade relations, public relations and investment promotion.

At present, * *11countries have consular offices in Hong Kong, including 56 consulates general and 55 honorary consuls. At present, some countries are negotiating with China to set up consular offices in Hong Kong, and the number of foreign consular offices in Hong Kong will continue to increase.

At present, five international organizations, including the International Monetary Fund, the Bank for International Settlements, the UNHCR and the International Finance Corporation, have set up branches in Hong Kong. As of June, 2004, the number of regional headquarters established by foreign and mainland enterprises in Hong Kong reached 65,438+0,098, a record high.

Before Hong Kong's reunification, foreign heads of state and government usually visited Hong Kong for work, transit or private purposes. After Hong Kong's return to China, as of June 5438+065438+ 10, 2004, the Hong Kong SAR Government has received more than 50 foreign heads of state, heads of government and senior ministers for official visits to Hong Kong.