Hong kong what type of government

The freedoms enshrined under the Basic Law expire in and it is not clear what Hong Kong's status will be after that. Hong Kong protests explained in and words. Carrie Lam: The controversial leader of Hong Kong. Seven ways China's media took on HK protests.

Hong Kong is run by a chief executive who has been elected by a committee and formally appointed by the central Chinese government. Here is a breakdown of how this unique system works. What is Hong Kong's Basic Law? That agreement is only valid for 50 years. How is Hong Kong's chief executive chosen? What is the Legislative Council? How do Hong Kong's district councils work? How much control does Beijing have over Hong Kong? The number of Members of the seventh term Legislative Council is increased from 70 to 90, including 40 Members returned by the Election Committee Constituency, 30 Members returned by Functional Constituencies, and 20 Members returned by Geographical Constituencies through elections.

Apart from its law-making function, the Legislative Council debates issues of public interest, examines and approves budgets, receives and debates the Chief Executive's policy addresses, and endorses the appointment and removal of the judges of the Court of Final Appeal and the Chief Judge of the High Court. The sixth-term District Councils, comprising seats elected seats and 27 ex officio seats assumed by chairmen of the rural committees in the New Territories , commenced on January 1, The 18 District Councils advise the HKSAR Government on, amongst others, matters affecting the well-being of the people in the districts and on the provision and use of their public facilities and services, and where funds are made available for the purpose, undertake environmental improvement projects and promote recreational, cultural and community activities within the districts.

The Basic Law ensures that Hong Kong remains within the common law system. The judiciary is independent from the legislative and executive branches of government, with the courts showing no bias. For the most serious types of criminal offences, a jury decides whether the accused is guilty or not, with a majority vote required.

Pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong would like the region to remain different from other Chinese cities. So is Hong Kong a de facto country or is it truly a part of China? As with many things in Hong Kong, the answer is not clear-cut. The relationship between Hong Kong and mainland China is far more complex than most people realize.

It involves politics, economics , trade, laws, and, above all, the people. Mainland China and Hong Kong complement each other economically. However, their political differences remain entrenched. The century-long separation between the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong created gaps that cannot be easily bridged even if the two are officially one country. Before Hong Kong and mainland China can truly unify, they must overcome significant differences.

To understand the root of Hong Kong's separation from the mainland, one must go back to the Opium Wars between Great Britain and China — During these military and trade clashes, China was forced to cede Hong Kong Island and a part of Kowloon to Great Britain in perpetuity. In , Britain negotiated a major land expansion of the Hong Kong colony and signed a year lease with China.

Under the doctrine of "one country, two systems," China allowed the former colony to continue to govern itself and maintain many independent systems for a period of 50 years. The Basic Law defines the limited autonomy of Hong Kong. Owing to its colonial history, English is one of Hong Kong's official languages. Officially known as the People's Republic of China, this East Asian country is the world's most populous , with a population of more than 1.

China is governed by the Chinese Communist Party, which has jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four direct-controlled municipalities, and the SARs of both Hong Kong and Macau. China built its economy on heavy industry development, ramping up the country's industrial and service output over the years. Of late, consumer demand has driven growth. However, after a tougher , in which the nation was embroiled in a trade war with the United States, the Chinese economy grew at its slowest pace in 28 years.

Perhaps the most significant difference between mainland China and Hong Kong is that the mainland is communist and controlled by a single party while Hong Kong has a limited democracy. Both share the President of China as their chief of state. However, each has its own head of government: The premier is the head of mainland China, while the chief executive is the head of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The chief executive is accountable to the Central People's Government. The term of the chief executive is for five years, and any person can serve for a maximum of two consecutive terms. Despite the separation in systems and rights guaranteed by the Basic Law, the mainland Chinese government does assert itself in local Hong Kong politics.

Protesters complained that only those candidates who aligned their interests with China would be allowed to run. The "Umbrella Protests," as they were known, failed to achieve any concessions from Beijing. Hong Kong also has its own legal and judicial systems including a proprietary police force , district organizations with no political power , and public servants, broadly based on the British common law model.

However, for land tenure and family matters, Hong Kong reverts to the Chinese customary law model. In , Hong Kongers protested against an extradition bill that would have allowed residents to be sent to mainland China.

It was eventually suspended and withdrawn by the chief executive. Critics feared the bill would undermine the region's judicial system. Amnesty International said the bill—if passed—would have extended the power of the mainland authorities to target critics, human rights defenders, journalists, NGO workers, and anyone else in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong defers from mainland China in two primary areas: military defense and international relations. Hong Kong may not maintain its own military; the mainland manages the military defense of Hong Kong. In international diplomacy, Hong Kong has no separate identity from mainland China. The highest court in Hong Kong is the court of final appeal. The chief executive appoints judges in Hong Kong courts.

Duties of the judiciary are to provide legal advice to the government, prosecute criminals, and handle all legal matters in Hong Kong. The civil service is comprised of customs officers, government clerks, the police, and other government workers. Members of the civil service are appointed based on merit. The institution of civil servants is required by law to be politically neutral.

Primary duties of civil servants are to offer public services and implement government plans. Hong Kong is a united territory and is divided into districts. The territory has 18 districts which are led by the district council.