Policy Address
Improving the Implementation of “One Country, Two Systems”
The Chief Executive’s Mission
11. Shortly after my assumption of office, I made it clear that to ensure the robustness of “One Country, Two Systems”, the HKSAR must uphold the “One Country” principle and handle the relationship between the Central Government and the HKSAR correctly. The Chief Executive is responsible to both the HKSAR and the Central People’s Government (CPG). Under the constitutional function of “dual responsibility”, the Chief Executive is required to comprehensively, accurately and firmly implement the “One Country, Two Systems” principle and uphold the Basic Law.
12. Under the Basic Law, the Chief Executive is vested with the dual role as head of the executive authorities of the HKSAR, that is, the HKSAR Government, and that of the HKSAR representing the whole Region. One can see the extensive powers conferred upon the Chief Executive by referring to Chapter IV of the Basic Law, which sets out the provisions relating to the political structure of the HKSAR. In addition to leading the executive authorities, the Chief Executive has specific roles and functions to play in respect of the exercise of powers and functions by the legislature and the judiciary of Hong Kong. This demonstrates the HKSAR’s adherence to the executive-led structure under the core leadership of the Chief Executive, who is directly accountable to the CPG. Under this framework, the powers of the executive authorities, the legislature and the judiciary are “individually positioned” with a division of work. There is no conflict between an executive-led system and an independent Judiciary, since one of the Chief Executive’s duties is to uphold judicial independence which is protected under the Basic Law.
