Hong Kong After the Elections: The Future of 'One Country, Two Systems'
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The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) announced a formal hearing on "Hong Kong After the Elections: The Future of 'One Country, Two Systems'" to be held on Thursday, September 23, 2004 at 1:00 PM in Room 192 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. CECC Chairman Jim Leach (R-IA) will preside, with Co-Chairman Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE).
The September 12 elections for the Legislative Council capped an active political year in Hong Kong. Earlier in 2004, popular demonstrations in support of further democratic development in Hong Kong were met by central PRC government announcements postponing into the indefinite future direct election of all legislators and the chief executive. These developments have called into question whether the concept of "one country, two systems, enshrined in the Hong Kong Basic Law, is viable. This CECC hearing sought to understand the future of constitutional development and universal suffrage in Hong Kong in the aftermath of the September 12 election.