Hong Kong urged to step up efforts in Basic Law education

HONG KONG - On the 30th anniversary of the Basic Law on Saturday, legal experts, political leaders and educators called for greater efforts in educating the public and promoting the document that provides a constitutional basis of the "one country, two systems" principle.

They made their demand at an online seminar "Hong Kong's Basic Law. April 4, 2020" to mark the 30th anniversary of the promulgation of the law.

The Basic Law played an important role in ensuring Hong Kong's smooth return to the motherland, as well as boosting the city's development, said Wang Zhenmin, director of Center for Hong Kong and Macao Research of Tsinghua University. He addressed the seminar on behalf of Wang Hanbing, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Basic Law Drafting Committee.

Wang Zhenmin said that Hong Kong should improve the system and mechanism related to the implementation of the Basic Law and promote the education of the national Constitution and the Basic Law in the city.

He also called on Hong Kong people to cherish and study the Basic Law, safeguard and comply with the law as it is closely related to every resident's life.

Speaking at the seminar, Leung Chun-ying, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said Hong Kong's success and stability in the past 22 years has proved the Basic Law is sound and workable.

Leung reckoned it is necessary to keep explaining the content and roles of the Basic Law to Hong Kong residents and the international communities to let people get a full picture of "one country, two systems" principle, "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong" and "a high degree of autonomy" and what they imply.

Tang Fei, principal of Heung To Secondary School (Tseung Kwan O), called for integrating current resources for Basic Law education in the city.

Tang suggested the holding of relevant lessons and strengthen the Basic Law education more systematically in campus.

About 100 legal and political experts from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao attended the seminar online.