China says Hong Kong’s ‘one country, two systems’ is permanent: reports

China’s top official in charge of Hong Kong affairs said the city’s governing principle of “one country, two systems” will be kept as a “permanent feature,” according to local reports.

Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office director Xia Baolong said the one country, two systems principle is one of the features that made Hong Kong different from Chinese cities, the report said, quoting an unidentified person who attended a meeting with the top Beijing official.

Hong Kong is guaranteed freedom of speech until at least 2047 under a “one country, two systems” framework. This contrasts with mainland China, where foreign social media and search engines are blocked, and news organizations and filmmakers face tight restrictions.

Other features that have made Hong Kong distinctive include the city’s legal system, stock market, number of international banks and proficiency in English, the report added, citing Xia, who arrived in the city on Thursday for a six-day visit.

(Staff reporter/Bloomberg)