Hong Kong is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China as stated under Article 1 of the Basic Law and it is a provision with no prescribed time limit, Chief Executive CY Leung says.
He was responding to calls by youth groups to hold a referendum to allow the Hong Kong people to decide their own future beyond 2047, when "one country, two systems" expires and to include the option of independence in the poll.
Mr Leung told reporters ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting this morning that Hong Kong's capitalist system and way of life will remain unchanged for 50 years before 2047, but it does not mean its sovereignty will change by then.
He said Hong Kong enjoys a higher degree of autonomy compared to many cities within and outside the Mainland, but reiterated that its autonomy is under the Central Government's authority.
If the method for electing the Chief Executive needs to be changed, it is the Central Government that must give its approval, Mr Leung noted.
He added that the youngsters calling for a referendum may not fully understand Hong Kong's history and that it was the Government and community's responsibility to ensure young people understood the origins of the Basic Law and its meaning because sovereignty and territorial integrity are serious matters.
