Special administrative regions , or ATS ( Chinese trad. 特別 行政區 , ex. Р 行政区 , pinyin : tèbié xíngzhèngqū ) are special territorial-administrative units of the People’s Republic of China that enjoy a high degree of autonomy . In fact, these territories are independent in resolving all issues except those related to defense or foreign policy. This status is enshrined in the Basic Laws adopted by the National People's Congress after the establishment of the sovereignty of China over Macau and Hong Kong .
The idea of special administrative regions was proposed in the 1980s by Deng Xiaoping under the principle of " one country - two systems ." This was a compromise option for returning to China long-leased territories with an established market economy and a democratic political system. Currently, the country has two units with the status of a special administrative region.
| Special Administrative Areas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Russian spelling | English spelling | Chinese spelling |
| Hong Kong (Hong Kong) | Hong kong | 香港 |
| Macau (Aomen, Macau) | Macau | 澳門 |
Hong Kong and Macau became part of China as special administrative regions in 1997 and 1999, respectively .
Comparison Chart
| SAR Hong Kong | SAR Macau | Mainland China | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The basic Law | Hong Kong Basic Law | Macau Basic Law | Constitution of the PRC | |
| Basic Law Interpretation Authority | Standing Committee of the National People's Congress | Standing Committee of the National People's Congress | Standing Committee of the National People's Congress | |
| Head of state | Chairman of the PRC | Chairman of the PRC | Chairman of the PRC | |
| Head of the government | Hong Kong Chief Minister | Macao Chief Minister | Chinese Prime Minister | |
| Executive authority | Hong Kong Executive Council | Macau Executive Board | PRC State Council | |
| Legislature | Hong Kong Legislative Assembly | Macau Legislative Assembly | All-China Assembly of People's Representatives ; Standing Committee of the National People's Congress | |
| Supreme Judiciary | Hong Kong Supreme Court of Appeal | Macau Supreme Court of Appeal | Supreme People's Court of China | |
| Supreme body of the prosecutor's office | Hong Kong Department of Justice | Macao Public Prosecutor | High Public Prosecutor | |
| Police | Hong Kong Police | Macau Community Police | People's Police of China | |
| Army | Hong Kong PLA garrison (directly subordinate to the CVC ) | PLA garrison in Macau (directly subordinate to the CVC ) | People's Liberation Army of China | |
| Currency | hong kong dollar | macaca pataca | CNY | |
| Tongue | Cantonese and English | Cantonese and Portuguese | Chinese | |
| International relationships | Hong Kong diplomatic relations | diplomatic relations Macau | diplomatic relations | |
| Passport | Hong Kong passport | Macau passport | passport of a citizen of China | |
| Registration authority | Hong Kong Immigration Department | Macau Identity Service | Ministry of Public Security | |
| Visa policy | Hong Kong Visa Policy | Macau Visa Policy | China Visa Policy | |
| Freedom of movement | unlimited for persons legally residing in the territory of the city agglomeration | limited ( hukou ) | ||
| State censorship | there is | there is | there is | |