by Mahmoud Fouly, Abdel-Meguid Kamal
CAIRO, April 9 (Xinhua) -- The rights and freedoms of people in Hong Kong have been guaranteed by the basic law since China resumed sovereignty over the territory in 1997 under the principle of "one country, two systems," an Egyptian expert has said.
"The Basic Law is one of several laws issued by China's central government to guarantee the rights, freedoms and a decent life for residents of Hong Kong, just like the rest of Chinese citizens," Diaa Helmy, secretary-general of Cairo-based Egyptian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, told Xinhua in a recent interview.
Promulgated in April 1990, the nine-chapter, 160-article Basic Law of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has always been admired by other countries that seek to adopt similar policies to deal with their autonomous regions, said the China expert.
The Hong Kong Basic Law, along with the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance and other legislations, ensures the protection of human rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, including the freedom of speech, the press, publication, association and assembly.
"After 23 years of implementation, we can see how Hong Kong people live a decent life due to the support of China's central government, particularly at times of crises," Helmy said.
During the 1998 financial crisis, China's central government backed Hong Kong "economically, financially and socially and played a great role" in maintaining the well-being of people in Hong Kong, the expert said.
He stressed that Hong Kong has greatly benefited and is still benefiting from being part of the overall Chinese system.
"China's central government also supported Hong Kong during the current coronavirus pandemic, because China's commitment to maintaining the safety of Hong Kong is integral," he said.
Helmy pointed out that some Western countries have always been trying to raise doubts about the freedoms in Hong Kong, but they have never come up with a clear definition of human rights and freedoms.
The Egyptian expert described such Western attempts as "political, economic and social fabrications."
"These attempts are doomed to failure, because there is no other country in the world that would care about the lives and rights of citizens in Hong Kong more than China itself," Helmy said.
