The head of Hong Kong's central government liaison office Zhang Xiaoming has explained that the special administrative region does not subscribe to "the political system of separation of powers." He revealed that owing to the Chief Executive's dual responsibility to the city as well as Beijing, he occupies a special position that puts him above the legislative, executive and judicial organs.

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Zhang made these comments at the 25^th anniversary of the promulgation of the constitution of Hong Kong, known as the Basic Law. The constitution came into effect after the city was officially handed over to the People's Republic of China by the British government in June 1997.

Under this constitution, there are three branches of Hong Kong's government: the executive, the legislative and the judiciary. The Chief Executive is the head of the executive branch of government. He is selected by an electoral college, which critics say is made up of people with pro-Beijing sentiments.

Zhang noted that separation of powers is meant for sovereign states. Hong Kong is part of China under the "one country, two systems" agreement. The political system of Hong Kong is "under the direct jurisdiction of the central government and centered around the chief executive, with checks and balances as well as cooperation between the administration, and an independent legislature," he explained.

As Zhang predicted, there has been a fierce backlash against his comments. Pro-democracy lawmakers have noted that Zhang's statement gives too much power to the Chief Executive and goes against the city's constitution.

There is no universal suffrage in Hong Kong - except in District Council and Legislative Council elections. In June, pro-democracy lawmakers voted against a bill backed by Beijing that would have allowed the city's residents to choose their Chief Executive through universal suffrage. Under the proposed electoral reform, candidates would have to be approved by a nominating committee - and critics feared that China will infiltrate the committee. There were several protests in Hong Kong against the bill.

TagsHong Kong Political System, Hong Kong Basic Law, Hong Kong universal suffrage, Hong Kong Separation of Powers, hong kong chief executive, Zhang Xiaoming, Hong Kong Basic Law 25th Anniversary