Six-monthly Report on Hong Kong July-December 2003 Presented to Parliament By the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs By Command of Her Majesty February 2004 Cm 6125 £5.00 © Crown Copyright 2004 The text in this document (excluding the Royal Arms and departmental logos) may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium providing that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as Crown copyright and the title of the document specified. Any enquiries relating to the copyright in this document should be addressed to The Licensing Division, HMSO, St Clements House, 2–16 Colegate, Norwich, NR3 1BQ. Fax: 01603 723000 or e-mail:
[email protected] FOREWORD This is the fourteenth in a series of six-monthly reports to Parliament on the implementation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong. It covers the period from 1 July to 31 December 2003. This was an eventful period for Hong Kong. It started with the largest demonstration since the handover, when some 500,000 people took to the streets on 1 July, shortly before the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government was intending to enact controversial national security legislation. The fact that half a million people could demonstrate so peacefully (there was not a single arrest) is of great credit to the people of Hong Kong. This determined and dignified expression of commitment to uphold Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms was admired and commented upon internationally.