Simmering discontent in Hong Kong is coming to the boil again. Article 22 proscribes interference by central government in affairs over which the Special Administrative Region (SAR) government has autonomy. Since then, China’s top agencies responsible for the city – the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office and the Liaison Office – have insisted they’re not covered by Basic Law provisions. China’s de facto embassy in Hong Kong, the Liaison Office, has grown exponentially in size and influence since its establishment in 2000. Hong Kong’s Beijing-appointed chief executive, Carrie Lam, has acquiesced.

Source: The Irish Times May 13, 2020 20:37 UTC