City only has the powers laid down in Basic Law, says Wu Bangguo
The head of the National People's Congress has issued an unambiguous reminder to Hong Kong over the limits to its power: it only has as much autonomy as already laid down by Beijing.
Wu Bangguo told a forum to mark the 10th anniversary of the implementation of the Basic Law there was no question of the city being entitled to 'residual power' - power to manoeuvre in areas not overtly granted to it by Beijing.
His remarks appear to be a warning on Hong Kong people's say on the city's pace of democratisation, ahead of a consultation on its political reform programme, due to start this summer.
'However much power the central government decides to assign to the SAR [special administrative region], this is what the SAR gets. Article 20 of the Basic Law provides a legal basis for dealing with subsequent assignment of power.
'There does not exist the question of so-called 'residual power',' the leader of the national legislature told the 200-strong audience in the Great Hall of the People, including Vice-President Zeng Qinghong and Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen.