Beijing, June 29: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao today promised high degree of autonomy to Hong Kong to manage its affairs even as Beijing and Hong Kong inked a key deal to resurrect the former British colony's battered economy in the face of a series of crises, including the outbreak of SARS epidemic. Wen, who arrived in Hong Kong today for his first visit after taking over as premier in March, said that Beijing will unswervingly commit itself to the policies of "one country, two systems."
Wen arrived in Hong Kong on a three-day visit to attend the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signing ceremony and the celebrations of the sixth anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997. He said the mainland/Hong Kong CEPA is a special arrangement under the "one country, two systems" principle and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) framework. Speaking after the signing ceremony of CEPA, Wen said the arrangement embodies a closer economic relationship between China as a sovereign state and Hong Kong as a separate customs territory, and demonstrates the care and support for Hong Kong from the central government and the fellow folks of the motherland. Bureau Report