Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions: The Downfall of The “One Country, Two Systems” Policy
Arnaldo M.A. Gonçalves

Abstract
According to the principle “One Country, Two Systems”, approved and implemented by Deng Xiao Ping, Hong Kong and Macau would continue as separate autonomous parts of China for 50 years after returning to China. In terms of their Basic Laws, both territories have been governed as Special Administrative Regions (SARs) since the late 1990s. Notwithstanding the guarantees given to the British and Portuguese governments when negotiating the respective joint declarations, these guarantees were eroded as China changed its policy, progressively dismantling the foundations of autonomy by using a combination of political pressure, interference in the affairs of the SARs, and reinterpretation of the Basic Laws in line with China’s very circumscribed notion of sovereignty. These dramatic changes mean, unequivocally, the eroding of the “One Country, Two Systems policy” and the demolishing of Deng Xiao Ping legacy.

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