Today, July 1, 2016, marks the 19th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong by the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China. Hong Kong, a former British colony, is now a Special Administrative Region in China. The Basic Law governs the relationship between Hong Kong SAR and the PRC.

An important provision of the Basic Law is Article 5 which states: “The socialist system and policies shall not be practised in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the previous capitalist system and way of life shall remain unchanged for 50 years.”  Nineteen years has now run on this 50 year period.

For more information on the laws and legal system of Hong Kong SAR, see the Hong Kong Legal Information Institute.