Editing One country, two systems (section)

== Application to Hong Kong and Macau ==
{{See also|Sino-British Joint Declaration|Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration}}
[[File:Hong SAR office in Beijing.jpg|thumb|[[Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing|Office of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR in Beijing]]]]
[[File:HK SYP OCMFAPRC 1.jpg|thumb|[[Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region|Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR]]]]
[[File:Beijing 北京 Macau Center 澳門中心 Mar-2017.jpg|thumb|[[Office of the Macau Special Administrative Region in Beijing]]]]
[[File:Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR.JPG|thumb|[[Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region|Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macau SAR]]]]
{{Politics of China |expanded = Taiwan-HK-Macau }}

Chinese [[paramount leader]] [[Deng Xiaoping]] proposed the principle during negotiation with British [[prime minister]] [[Margaret Thatcher]] over the expiration of the United Kingdom's lease on the [[New Territories]] (including [[New Kowloon]]) of Hong Kong in 1997. The same principle was proposed in talks with [[Portugal]] about Macau.<ref>{{cite web |title=中葡两国关于澳门回归时间问题的外交博弈 及其历史经验 |url=http://www.hprc.org.cn/gsyj/dfsz/amdds/202206/P020220621348265568704.pdf |website=National History Network |access-date=6 April 2025 |language=zh}}</ref>

The principle is that, upon reunification, despite the practice of [[Socialism with Chinese characteristics|socialism in mainland China]], both Hong Kong and Macau, which were colonies of the United Kingdom and Portugal respectively, could retain their established system under a high degree of autonomy for up to 50 years after reunification. However, what would happen after 2047 and 2049 for Hong Kong and Macau respectively has never been publicly stated.

Chapter 1, Article 5 of the [[Hong Kong Basic Law]], the [[constitutional document]] of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, reads:<ref name="HKBasicLawChapter1">{{cite web|url=http://www.basiclaw.gov.hk/en/basiclawtext/chapter_1.html|title=Chapter I : General Principles|publisher=[[Government of Hong Kong|Government of the Hong Kong SAR]]|date=17 March 2008|access-date=1 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171123110932/http://www.basiclaw.gov.hk/en/basiclawtext/chapter_1.html|archive-date=23 November 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{blockquote|The socialist system and policies shall not be practiced in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the previous capitalist system and way of life shall remain unchanged for 50 years.<ref>Luo, Jing. Over A Cup of Tea: An Introduction To Chinese Life And Culture. [2004] (2004). [[University Press of America]] China. {{ISBN|0-7618-2937-7}}</ref><ref>Wong, Yiu-chung. [2004] (2004). One Country, Two Systems in Crisis: Hong Kong's Transformation.  Lexington Books. Hong Kong. {{ISBN|0-7391-0492-6}}.</ref>}}

The establishment of these regions, called [[special administrative region (People's Republic of China)|"special administrative regions"]] (SARs), is authorised by Article 31 of the [[Constitution of the People's Republic of China]], which states that the state may establish SARs when necessary, and that the systems to be instituted in them shall be prescribed by law enacted by the [[National People's Congress]] in light of the specific conditions.<ref>{{cite web |title=《“一国两制”在香港特别行政区的实践》白皮书(全文) |url=http://hochiminhcity.china-consulate.gov.cn/xwdt/201406/t20140610_5515908.html |website=Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Ho Chi Minh City |access-date=6 April 2025 |language=zh |date=10 June 2014}}</ref>

The SARs of Hong Kong and Macau were formally established on the [[handover of Hong Kong|1 July 1997]] and the [[handover of Macau|20 December 1999]] respectively, immediately after the People's Republic of China (PRC) assumed sovereignty over these respective regions.<ref>{{cite web |title=历史大势不可挡——“一国两制”重要制度为什么完全行得通？ |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2020-08/17/c_1126374689.htm |website=[[Xinhua News Agency]] |access-date=6 April 2025 |date=17 August 2020}}</ref>

===Framework===
The two SARs of Hong Kong and Macau are responsible for their domestic affairs including, but not limited to, the [[judiciary]] and [[Court of Final Appeal (disambiguation)|courts of final appeal]], immigration and customs, [[public finance]], [[currency|currencies]] and [[extradition]]. The SARs are also exempt from mainland laws mandating the use of [[simplified characters]] in publishing and [[Standard Chinese|Mandarin]] in public education and most broadcasting. The [[diplomatic relations]] and [[defense (military)|military defence]] of the two SARs however, is the responsibility of the [[Central People's Government]] in Beijing.<ref>{{cite web |title=中国的国防 |url=https://www.gov.cn/zwgk/2005-05/26/content_1107.htm |website=The Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China |access-date=6 April 2025}}</ref>

Hong Kong continues using [[English law#common law|English common law]] while Macau continues using the [[Portuguese law|Portuguese]] [[civil law (legal system)|civil law system]].<ref>{{cite web |title=論對港澳原有法律的採用 |url=https://www.macaudata.mo/macaubook/book155/html/02601.htm |website=Macau Data |access-date=6 April 2025}}</ref>

===Names===
When the two regions have their own membership in international organisations (such as the [[World Trade Organization|WTO]] and the [[Paralympics]]), both regions are mandated to use the name "Hong Kong, China" or "Macao, China"{{efn|In practice, Macau sometimes instead uses "Macau, China".<ref>{{cite web |title=Sports Olympic Committee of Macau, China |url=http://www.macauolympic.org/ |website=Macau Olympic Committee |access-date=6 April 2025}}</ref>}} instead of "Hong Kong" or "Macau"/"Macao", as stipulated several times under Chapter VII ("External Affairs") of both regions' Basic Laws.<ref>{{cite web |title=编校工作中如何正确把握涉港澳台用语（下） |url=https://pub.bnu.edu.cn/jzyg1/07faf61fce2c41b0a8ac056d283efcd8.html |website=[[Beijing Normal University]] |access-date=6 April 2025 |date=29 December 2023}}</ref>

For example, in Trade Policy Review documents between Hong Kong and the WTO, the documents use "Hong Kong, China" throughout even in prose. When a short name is used, it uses the acronym "HKC" and never "Hong Kong" or "HK" standalone.<ref>{{cite web |title=Trade Policy Review Body (23-6814)  |url=https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tpr_e/s450_e.pdf |website=World Trade Organization |access-date=6 April 2025 |date=11 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Trade Policy Review Body (23-6781) |url=https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tpr_e/g450_e.pdf |website=World Trade Organization |access-date=6 April 2025 |date=11 October 2023}}</ref> Similarly, in Trade Policy Review documents between Macau and the WTO, "Macao, China" is used in prose throughout and the only short name used is the acronym "MSAR".<ref>{{cite web |title=Trade Policy Review Body (20-8007) |url=https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tpr_e/g402_e.pdf |website=World Trade Organization |access-date=6 April 2025 |date=10 November 2020}}</ref>

=== Potential extension ===
Several high level members of the government have expressed a potential extension of the system beyond 2047 for Hong Kong. In January 2020, [[Carrie Lam]] stated that "My view is this: as long as we persist with the "One Country, Two Systems" principle, push forward the implementation of 'One Country, Two Systems' and have a full understanding and implementation of the principle... then we have adequate reason to believe that 'One Country, Two Systems' will be implemented smoothly and in the long term, and it will not change after 2047."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cheng |first=Kris |date=2020-01-16 |title='One Country, Two Systems' could remain unchanged after 2047, says Hong Kong's Carrie Lam |url=https://hongkongfp.com/2020/01/16/one-country-two-systems-remain-unchanged-2047-says-hong-kongs-carrie-lam/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413184706/https://hongkongfp.com/2020/01/16/one-country-two-systems-remain-unchanged-2047-says-hong-kongs-carrie-lam/ |archive-date=13 April 2023 |access-date=2020-10-28 |website=Hong Kong Free Press HKFP |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Additionally, in a June 2020 online webinar to campaign for the [[2020 Hong Kong national security law|National Security Law]], [[Zhang Xiaoming]] said that the National Security Law would ensure that the freedoms granted to the city can be extended beyond 2047.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Cheung |first1=Tony |last2=Wong |first2=Natalie |date=2020-06-08 |title=Security law to extend, not erode Hong Kong freedoms beyond 2047 |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3088031/deng-xiaoping-always-believed-mainland-could-step-if |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102160244/https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3088031/deng-xiaoping-always-believed-mainland-could-step-if |archive-date=2 November 2020 |access-date=2020-10-28 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}</ref> However, neither Carrie Lam or Zhang Xiaoming have promised such an extension or laid out concrete steps or goals in order for it to happen.<ref>{{cite web |title=大国崛起准备的理论启示 |url=https://www.siis.org.cn/updates/cms/old/shgjwt201512107417/UploadFiles/file/20161229/%E5%9B%BD%E9%99%85%E5%B1%95%E6%9C%9B2013%E5%B9%B4%E7%AC%AC6%E6%9C%9F%20%E6%AD%A3%E6%96%87.pdf |website=siis.org |access-date=6 April 2025}}</ref>

In October 2021, Carrie Lam reiterated that she believed the system would be extended beyond 2047, stating "Anybody would seriously ask: why do we have to change it? But of course, something more concrete will have to come out later on to give the needed assurance about the continuation of the common law system, the monetary system, the professional recognition system, maybe some land leases."<ref>{{Cite web |title=One Country, Two Systems to last beyond 2047: CE |url=https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1614128-20211008.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008061807/https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1614128-20211008.htm |archive-date=8 October 2021 |access-date=2021-10-08 |website=RTHK |language=en-gb}}</ref>

In March 2022, [[Xia Baolong]], head of the [[Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office]], said that after 2047, the "one country, two systems" could be extended by another 50 years, until 2097.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=City's autonomy could last beyond 2047 |url=https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/4/187936/City%27s-autonomy-could-last-beyond-2047 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309125007/https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/4/187936/City%27s-autonomy-could-last-beyond-2047 |archive-date=9 March 2022 |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=The Standard |language=en}}</ref>

In July 2022, [[Leung Chun-ying]], former chief executive, said that he expected the system to be extended past 2047.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=CY Leung expects "one country, two systems" to go beyond 2047 |url=https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/4/191845/CY-Leung-expects-%E2%80%98one-country,-two-systems%E2%80%99-to-go-beyond-2047 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220702173220/https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/4/191845/CY-Leung-expects-%E2%80%98one-country,-two-systems%E2%80%99-to-go-beyond-2047 |archive-date=2 July 2022 |access-date=2022-07-03 |website=The Standard |language=en}}</ref>

On 1 July 2022, during a [[2022 Xi Jinping visit to Hong Kong|visit to Hong Kong]], [[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party]] [[Xi Jinping]] made a promise that the system is a long-term policy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hong Kong will stay a common law jurisdiction: SJ |url=https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1674682-20221108.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108190615/https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1674682-20221108.htm |archive-date=8 November 2022 |access-date=2022-11-08 |website=RTHK |language=en-gb}}</ref>

In February 2024, Xia Baolong said that the system would be kept permanently.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cheung |first=Ezra |last2=Lo |first2=Hoi-ying |last3=Wu |first3=Willa |date=2024-02-26 |title=Hong Kong governing principle to be permanent feature, top Beijing official says |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3253216/beijing-attaches-great-importance-hong-kong-countrys-global-finance-hub-xia-baolong-tells-local |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240226191728/https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3253216/beijing-attaches-great-importance-hong-kong-countrys-global-finance-hub-xia-baolong-tells-local |archive-date=26 February 2024 |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}</ref>