A book released on Sunday sums up the experience of “one country, two systems” over the past two decades and explains concepts for administering Hong Kong in the new era, legal heavyweights have said.

The 312-page A Guidebook to the Basic Law of Hong Kong, published by Joint Publishing HK, is a fruit of labor by seven experts from the pinnacle of China’s legal profession led by Rao Geping, the publication’s chief editor and honorary director of the Institute for Hong Kong and Macau Studies at Peking University.

In its eight chapters, the book provides a comprehensive interpretation of the Hong Kong Basic Law and summarizes the practice of “one country, two systems” over the past two decades. It also explains fresh concepts for administering Hong Kong and Macao — another city that enjoys a high degree of autonomy under “one country, two systems” — in the new era.

Apart from bookstores in Hong Kong, the book is also available on online shopping platforms in the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

Hong Kong Deputy Secretary for Justice Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan, at the book’s launching ceremony on Sunday, called the principle of “one country, two systems” the most distinctive feature of the Hong Kong Basic Law, the city’s constitutional foundation since its implementation on July 1, 1997.

It preserves the special administrative region’s unique advantages and allows residents to maintain their way of life unchanged, as well as ensuring the prosperity and stability of the region in the long run, Cheung said.

Hong Kong’s flourishing economy, strengthened international financial status, and prosperous and stable society prove that “one country, two systems” has stood the test of time, said Cheung, adding that the book can serve as an authoritative reference for anyone seeking a comprehensive understanding of the principle.

Liu Chunhua, head of the Legal Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, addressing the event, praised the book as professional and concise, and said its authors have captured the essence of the Basic Law with accuracy.

Wong Yuk-shan, vice-chairman of the Basic Law Committee of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, said the book will help dispel doubts and resolve confusion about the Basic Law for the public.

Rao also spoke at the ceremony,  saying that the Basic Law should be persistently maintained.

The law professor noted an elevated demand for literature and widespread understanding of “one country, two systems” since the return of Hong Kong and Macao to the country. Academia has an undeniable responsibility to convey the legal significance of the Basic Law to society in an easy-to-understand manner, he said. Academia has an undeniable responsibility to convey the legal significance of the Basic Law to society in an easy-to-understand manner, he said. Scholars from the Chinese mainland are willing to join hands with Hong Kong scholars to promote such understanding, he added.

Three seminar sessions were held after the book’s launch, where dozens of legal heavyweights from the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao shared their views on both the book and the essence of deepening the promotion and study of the Basic Law.

atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com