Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats; 30 indirectly
elected by functional constituencies, 24 elected by popular vote,
and 6 elected by an 800-member election committee; members serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held 10 September 2000 (next to be held in September
2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
Democratic Party 12, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong
Kong 10, Liberal Party 7, Frontier Party 5, Hong Kong Progressive
Alliance 4, New Century Forum 2, Hong Kong Association for Democracy
and People's Livelihood 1, independents 19
Judicial branch:
Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Political parties and leaders:
Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood [Frederick FUNG
Kin-kee, chairman]; Citizens Party [Alex CHAN Kai-chung]; Democratic
Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong [Jasper TSANG Yok-sing,
chairman]; Democratic Party [Martin LEE Chu-ming, chairman];
Frontier Party [Emily LAU Wai-hing, chairwoman]; Hong Kong
Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood [leader NA]; Hong
Kong Progressive Alliance [Ambrose LAU Hon-chuen]; Liberal Party
[James TIEN Pei-chun, chairman]; New Century Forum [NQ Ching-fai,
chairman]
note: political blocs include: pro-democracy - Association for
Democracy and People's Livelihood, Citizens Party, Democratic Party,
Frontier Party; pro-Beijing - Democratic Alliance for the Betterment
of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Progressive Alliance, Liberal Party, New
Century Forum
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Chinese
Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade
Unions (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE Cheuk-yan,
general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Federation
of Trade Unions (pro-China) [LEE Chark-tim, president]; Hong Kong
Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China
[Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council
(pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Hong Kong
Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNG Man-kwong, president]; Liberal
Democratic Federation [HU Fa-kuang, chairman]
International organization participation:
APEC, AsDB, BIS, ESCAP (associate), ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMO
(associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL,
WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (special administrative region of China)
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Consul General James KEITH consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong mailing address: PSC 461, Box 1, FPO AP 96521-0006 telephone: [852] 2523-9011 FAX: [852] 2524-0860
Flag description: red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center
Economy Hong Kong
Economy - overview:
Hong Kong has a free market economy highly dependent on
international trade. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw
materials must be imported. Imports and exports, including
reexports, each exceed GDP in dollar value. Even before Hong Kong
reverted to Chinese administration on 1 July 1997 it had extensive
trade and investment ties with China. Hong Kong has been further
integrating its economy with China because China's growing openness
to the world economy has increased competitive pressure on Hong
Kong's service industries, and Hong Kong's re-export business from
China is a major driver of growth. Per capita GDP compares with the
level in the four big economies of Western Europe. GDP growth
averaged a strong 5% in 1989-1997, but Hong Kong suffered two
recessions in the past 6 years because of the Asian financial crisis
in 1998 and the global downturn of 2001-2002. The Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak has also battered Hong Kong's
economy but the resumption of strong growth began in 2003.