Abstract: | At its 8^th session on April 6, 2004, the Standing Committee of the .10^th National People's Congress (NPC) - China's national legislature - adopted the Interpretation of Article 7 in Annex I and Article 3 in Annex H to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SpecialAdministrative Region. At its 9^th session on April 26, 2004, the Standing Committee of the 10^th NPC adopted the Decision about Issues on How to Select the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2007 and on the Formation of the Legislative Council in 2008. At the 31 st session on December 29, 2007, the Standing Committee of the 10^th NPC adopted the Decision on the Methods for Selecting the Chief Executive and Forming the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2012 and Issues on Universal Surffrage. In the Report on the Work of the NPC Standing Committee delivered at the 1^th session of the 11^th NPC in Beijing on March 8, 2008, NPC Standing Committee Chairman Wu Bangguo said, "We formulated interpre- tations and passed corresponding decisions concerning some articles in the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and its annexes in line with the original legislative intent of the Basic Law, which has played an irreplaceable role in ensuring the correct implementation of the Basic Law, promoting the healthy development of democracy in Hong Kong and safeguard- ing the region's long-term prosperity and stability." |