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30th Anniversary of Sino-British Joint Declaration

 

國務院新聞辦公室早前發表《「一國兩制」在香港特別行政區的實踐》白皮書，重新燃起香港對「一國兩制」理解的討論。這個促成香港回歸的重要方針，始於中英聯合聲明；三十年過去，也許是時候重溫原文，思考當下形勢，就由Kevin 和 Crystal 今集細說聲明英文關鍵字！

 

On 19 December 1984 in Beijing, the Prime Ministers Zhao Ziyang and Margaret Thatcher of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the United Kingdom (UK) governments signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

 

Sino- (related to China)

e.g. Sino-British relationship

 

The PRC Government stated in the Joint Declaration that it had decided to resume the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong with effect from 1 July 1997.

 

resume 恢復 (v.)

e.g. Work resumes after the holiday.

 

► resume your seat (formal) 返回座位

e.g. The audience resumed their seats after intermission.

 

► résumé 履歷 (n.) (mainly AM) = CV (Curriculum Vitae [`vitaɪ] – mainly BR) 

 

sovereignty 主權 (n.)

= the power that a country has to govern itself

 

= autonomy 自治

= autonomy is the government of a country by itself rather than by others

= ability to make your own decisions

 

e.g. Activists stepped up their demands for local autonomy.

 

The UK Government declared that it would hand over Hong Kong to the PRC.

 

hand over 交給 (phrasal verb)

= pass

e.g. The present chairman has decided to stand down and hand over to the next chairman.

 

handover 移交 (n.)

e.g. The handover of sovereignty 

 

In accordance with = according to

In accordance with the "One country, two systems" principle agreed between the UK and the PRC, the socialist system of PRC would not be practised in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and Hong Kong's previous capitalist system and its way of life would remain unchanged for a period of 50 years until 2047.

 

stipulate 訂明 (v.)

= specify (clearly)

e.g. The Joint Declaration provides that these basic policies should be stipulated in the Hong Kong Basic Law and that the socialist system and socialist policies shall not be practised in HKSAR.

 

  • shall (formal) – e.g. contract / legal documents
  • shall (I / We – first person pronouns - more common)

 

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will be vested with executive, legislative and independent judicial power, including that of final adjudication.

 

be vested with/in 賦予 (formal)

= be given a right or power

e.g. The authority was vested with significant power.

 

judicial 司法的 (adj.) = relating to the legal system

 

►adjudication 裁決 = decision

adjudicate (v.) = decide / to be the judge in a competition 擔任裁判 (adjudicator)

e.g. An expert was invited to adjudicate the competition.

   
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