Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, emphasized at a Monday forum that the executive-led system is indispensable to upholding the constitutional order of the two special administrative regions (SARs), as well as a prerequisite for the practice of “Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong” and “Macao people administering Macao” with a high degree of autonomy, and is essential for achieving efficient governance in the two SARs.
This summarization of the role and nature of the executive-led system can be elaborated on from at least three perspectives.
First, the executive-led system is firmly grounded in law. The nation’s Constitution and the Basic Laws together form the constitutional basis of the SARs, establishing a governance structure with the executive at its core. This design places the chief executive in a central and leading position within the SAR’s power framework. For instance, Article 43 stipulates: “The chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be the head of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and shall represent the region. The chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be accountable to the Central People’s Government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in accordance with the provisions of this law.” Article 48 outlines 13 specific powers, endowing the chief executive with the function of bearing overall responsibility, including leading the SAR government to implement lawful administration. The chief executive’s status of “dual accountability” and “dual head” (of both the region and the government) dictates that the executive-led system is an essential feature of Hong Kong’s political system.
Second, the executive-led system represents the most suitable organizational form of political power. Before the 1997 and 1999 handovers, the governors of Hong Kong and Macao wielded absolute power as representatives of the colonialists’ interests. Since the return to the motherland, the chief executives and the SAR governments represent the fundamental interests of Hong Kong and Macao and the collective well-being of their residents. On the one hand, this executive-led system design ensures the effective implementation of the principles of “Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong”, “Macao people administering Macao”, and a high degree of autonomy. On the other hand, the executive-led system does not mean a monopoly of power as “executive-led” operates along with “separation of functions” among the executive, the legislature, and the Judiciary, as well as judicial independence. This arrangement represents a vast improvement over the political systems implemented under the British and Portuguese rule.
Third, the executive-led system is conducive to improving governance efficiency. The development and progress of Hong Kong and Macao require efficient governance. A political system that overemphasizes checks and balances at the expense of governance efficiency often leads to indecision, inaction, and poor policy implementation, resulting in a loss of opportunities, fostering political gridlocks, and potentially causing social instability. In contrast, the executive-led system helps boost the functioning and efficiency of political power organs, rallies support from all sectors of society, enables flexible responses to risks and challenges, and safeguards the prosperity and stability of the two regions.
The development and progress of Hong Kong and Macao require efficient governance. A political system that overemphasizes checks and balances at the expense of governance efficiency often leads to indecision, inaction, and poor policy implementation, resulting in a loss of opportunities, fostering political gridlocks, and potentially causing social instability
Xia pointed out that practical experiences since the return of Hong Kong and Macao have proved that the executive-led system possesses distinct advantages. Specifically, it strengthens overall planning and facilitates effective policy execution; it enables the SARs to effectively safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests; it enables the SARs to seize opportunities and make flexible adaptations, thus effectively promoting economic prosperity; it facilitates the concentration of resources on major tasks while balancing diverse interests, effectively improving overall social welfare and livelihoods; it ensures policy stability and upholding fundamental principles while making breakthroughs in effectively enhancing the SARs’ international competitiveness and influence; and it guarantees rapid response to and efficient handling of issues, effectively addressing and resolving risks and challenges.
More specifically, Hong Kong’s recent experiences offer clear illustrations of the executive-led system’s advantages.
The system has strengthened the overall planning and effective execution of policy. Since the implementation of the Hong Kong SAR National Security Law, the chief executive, who is also chairman of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security, has led the executive, legislature, and Judiciary in dutifully fulfilling their constitutional duties by forcefully cracking down on anti-China forces and effectively coordinating development and security. Despite “soft resistance” and “soft confrontation” attempts, social stability and order in the SAR have been effectively maintained.
The system has allowed Hong Kong to seize emerging opportunities and to adapt proactively to changes. In response to the United States’ trade war that has significantly affected external trade, the chief executive and the SAR government, demonstrating a sense of responsibility as the leadership of the SAR, have led the city to actively diversify into non-US markets with notable results. The diversification drive has successfully attracted sovereign funds from the Middle East and a wave of family offices. By 2025, Hong Kong ranked first globally in initial public offering fundraising, while the number of companies operating in Hong Kong, whose parent companies are based overseas or on the Chinese mainland, reached a record high of 11,070.
The executive-led system enables the SAR to concentrate resources on accomplishing major tasks and accommodating the interests of all quarters. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the SAR government identified promoting the “mega-event economy” as a key measure to revitalize the local economy, introducing policies to support major cultural and sports events. Leveraging high-profile events, Hong Kong attracted nearly 50 million visitors in 2025, effectively stimulating local consumption.
The executive-led system also ensures policy consistency and stability while fostering innovation. The chief executive and SAR government officials have proactively promoted initiatives to deepen international economic and trade cooperation as well as people-to-people exchanges. Today, Hong Kong is a member of over 100 international organizations, a party to more than 260 international multilateral treaties, and hosts the largest number of foreign consular missions of any city globally.
The executive-led system also facilitates the rapid response to and highly efficient handling of emergencies. Following the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po last November, the chief executive and the SAR government resolutely implemented President Xi Jinping’s instructions, mobilizing government-wide resources to launch immediate rescue operations. Within just one week, on-site search and rescue work was completed, and affected residents were properly resettled. This swift and effective disaster relief effort has garnered widespread affirmation from all sectors of society.
The empirical evidence shows that the executive-led system is crucial to achieving good governance and to the successful practice of “one country, two systems” in the Hong Kong and Macao SARs, ensuring the long-term stability and prosperity of the two regions.
The author is vice-chairman of the Committee on Liaison with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the Hong Kong New Era Development Thinktank.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
