Chapter VII:
External Affairs
Article 150
- Representatives of the Government of
the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may, as members of delegations of the Government
of the People's Republic
of China, participate in negotiations at the diplomatic level directly affecting the Region conducted
by the Central People's Government.
Article 151
- The Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region may on its own, using the name "Hong Kong, China", maintain and develop
relations and conclude and implement agreements with foreign states and regions and
relevant international organizations in the appropriate fields, including the economic,
trade, financial and monetary, shipping, communications, tourism, cultural and sports fields.
Article 152
- Representatives of the Government of
the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may, as members of delegations of the People's
Republic of China, participate
in international organizations or conferences in appropriate fields limited to states and affecting
the Region, or may attend in such other capacity as may be permitted by the Central
People's Government and the international organization or
conference concerned, and may express
their views, using the name "Hong Kong, China".
- The Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region may, using the name "Hong Kong, China", participate in international
organizations and conferences not limited to states.
- The Central People's Government shall
take the necessary steps to ensure that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall
continue to retain its status in an appropriate capacity in those international organizations of which
the People's Republic
of China is a member and in which Hong Kong participates in one capacity or another.
- The Central People's Government shall,
where necessary, facilitate the continued participation of the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region in an appropriate capacity in those international organizations in which Hong Kong
is a participant in one
capacity or another, but of which the People's Republic of China is not
a member.
Article 153
- The application to the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region of international agreements to which the People's Republic of China
is or becomes a party shall be decided by the Central People's Government, in accordance with
the circumstances and
needs of the Region, and after seeking the views of the government of the Region.
- International agreements to which the
People's Republic of China is not a party but which are implemented in Hong Kong may continue
to be implemented in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Central People's
Government shall,
as necessary, authorize or assist the government of the Region to make appropriate arrangements
for the application to the Region of other relevant
international agreements.
Article 154
- The Central People's Government shall
authorize the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to issue, in
accordance with law, passports of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic
of China to all
Chinese citizens who hold permanent identity cards of the Region, and travel documents of the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China to all other persons lawfully
residing in the Region. The above passports and documents shall be valid for all states and regions
and shall record the
holder's right to return to the Region.
- The Government of the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region may apply immigration controls on entry into, stay in and departure from
the Region by persons
from foreign states and regions.
Article 155
- The Central People's Government shall
assist or authorize the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to conclude
visa abolition agreements with foreign states or regions.
Article 156
- The Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region may, as necessary, establish official or semi-official economic and trade missions in foreign
countries and shall report
the establishment of such missions to the Central People's Government for the record.
Article 157
- The establishment of foreign consular
and other official or semiofficial missions in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall
require the approval of the Central People's Government.
- Consular and other official missions
established in Hong Kong by states which have formal diplomatic relations with the People's
Republic of China may be maintained.
- According to the circumstances of each
case, consular and other official missions established in Hong Kong by states which have
no formal diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China may be permitted either to
remain or be changed
to semi-official missions.
- States not recognized by the People's
Republic of China may only establish non-governmental institutions in the Region.
The Democratic Party