Is Hong Kong’s Basic Law standing firm at 30?
- On April 4, 1990, China’s legislature endorsed a mini-constitution for Hong Kong, five years in the making
- Three decades later, with political tension on the rise, some say it needs amending – while others fear what those amendments might be
The Chinese philosopher Confucius, in the Analects, discussed how a man acquires wisdom and fortitude over the years, a process that may also be applicable to Hong Kong’s Basic Law.
“At 30, I stood firm,” he wrote. “At 40, I had no more doubts. At 50, I knew the mandate of Heaven.”
Saturday marks the 30th anniversary of the promulgation of the city’s mini-constitution. On April 4, 1990, the National People’s Congress (NPC) endorsed the final version after a five-year drafting process.
At the age of 30, Hong Kong’s Basic Law is still wrestling with pains.
Any proposal to amend the Basic Law would certainly trigger controversy in the society
While Beijing is unhappy with the city’s failure to enact its own national security law to implement the document’s Article 23, those Hongkongers expecting greater democracy have been left similarly disappointed.
Universal suffrage, promised by Beijing in the Basic Law, still eludes the city, and the long-running debate on how to achieve full democracy has been the major source of tension between Hong Kong and the central government.