A senior Chinese official rebuffed a recent article in a university paper calling for the United Nations to recognize Hong Kong  as a sovereign country by 2047.

The Undergrad, the student magazine of the University of Hong Kong, insisted that the UN should recognize the city as a separate country with a democratic government and complete with its own constitution by 2047.

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The article titled "Out 2047" was published online last week. It said that under the Basic Law which took effect during the Hong Kong handover in 1997, it guarantees the 'one country, two systems'  principle for 50 years.

"It's impossible. How could Hong Kong be independent?" said Qiao Xiaoyang, head of China's parliamentary law committee, in an interview with Beijing reporters.

Basic Law

The Basic Law, which serves as Hong Kong's mini-constitution, protects the rights of the citizens and guarantees the one country, two systems for 50 years.

Thousands of pro-democracy groups and students took to the streets for a month in 2014 in Hong Kong demanding the government to give them the freedom to choose their own leaders in the 2017 elections.

The demonstrations were thwarted by the Hong Kong police and China refused to give in to the groups' demands.

Violations    

The article also criticized  the Hong Kong government for violating the rights of its citizens enshrined in their constitution and failing to protect its identity and heritage. It added that the government failed to secure the rights of the people of Hong Kong.

The university article also lambasted the government for being a 'puppet' of the mainland.