The Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Bureau today explained the three press releases issued over the weekend relating to recent remarks made by the State Council's Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office and the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (LOCPG).

The bureau said on the afternoon of April 18, the first press release was issued. As the sentence “the LOCPG is one of the three organisations set up by the Central Government in accordance with Article 22(2) of the Basic Law” is factually inaccurate, a revised press release was issued to the media that evening to supersede the first one.

Basic Law Article 22(2) the stipulates that if there is a need for departments of the Central Government, or for provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities directly under the Central Government to set up offices in the Hong Kong SAR, they must obtain the consent of the government of the Region and the approval of the Central People’s Government.

The Xinhua News Agency (Hong Kong Branch), the liaison office's antecedent, was founded in May 1947. It had all along discharged relevant responsibilities in Hong Kong as the representative office authorised by the Central People’s Government (CPG).

The agency continued to operate as an office authorised by the CPG after Hong Kong’s return to the Motherland.

In December 1999, the State Council decided to change the name of “Xinhua News Agency (Hong Kong Branch)” to “Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region”. Hence, the liaison office was not set up in accordance with Article 22(2) of the Basic Law.

The objective of the third press release issued subsequently at midnight on April 19 was to elaborate on the amendment.

It also clarified that the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Hong Kong SAR (OCMFA) was established in accordance with Basic Law Article 13, while the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison was stationed in the Hong Kong SAR in accordance with Basic Law Article 14.

The bureau noted that all offices set up in the city by the Central Government and their personnel, including the liaison office, OCMFA and the garrison shall act in accordance with the principle of “one country, two systems”, strictly abide by the Basic Law and the city’s laws, and discharge their duties in accordance with the laws.

The liaison office is authorised by the CPG to handle issues relating to Hong Kong. It is entrusted with the authority and responsibility to represent the CPG to express views and exercise supervisory power on major issues.

These issues include those concerning the relationship between the CPG and the Hong Kong SAR, the Basic Law’s accurate implementation, the political system’s proper operation and the well-being of the community as a whole.

Discharging such duties does not constitute any interference with the affairs which the Hong Kong SAR administers on its own in accordance with the Basic Law, the bureau added.