The Hong Kong government has been actively promoting the Basic Law since Hong Kong's returning to the motherland, said the secretary for constitutional affairs Stephen Lam on Wednesday.

Answering questions from the Legislators, Lam said that to further promote the Basic Law and to enhance the public awareness of the "One Country, Two Systems" concept after Hong Kong's returning to the motherland, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government established in 1988 the Basic Law promotion steering committee, with the chief secretary for administration as the chairman. The Committee provides the necessary steer on the overall program and strategy for promoting the Basic Law and facilitates the coordination and co-operation between governmental and non-governmental bodies in their promotion efforts.

The four working groups set up under the steering committee organized a wide range of activities to promote the Basic Law among four target groups, namely, the local community, teachers and students, civil servants and the overseas community, said Lam, adding that such activities include various publicity programs, production of teaching materials, promotional materials and television specials, seminars, experience-sharing sessions and homepages.

Besides, the SAR government has also set up in the Hong Kong Central Library the Basic Law Reference Collection, which comprises more than 4,600 items. Over 31,000 people made use of the Reference Collection in 2003.

The government has also set up the Basic Law Homepage, which contains the full text of the Basic Law, as well as related information and promotional materials. In 2003, the total number of page views of the Homepage amounted to 2.01 million.

Lam said that among the some 100 activities organized or sponsored by the government, non-governmental bodies and district organizations to promote the Basic Law, about 40 were organized by the SAR government itself and over 50 were co-organized or sponsored by various government departments.

Over the past years, the government also produced more than 70 items of promotional materials, teaching materials and publications on the Basic Law.

To promote a better understanding of the Basic Law among young people, the government has already introduced a number of Basic Law elements into the curriculum for primary and secondary students, added Lam.

"At present, Basic Law elements feature in various primary and secondary school subjects. These elements include the background to the drafting of the Basic Law, the general principles of the Basic Law, the importance of the Basic Law to Hong Kong, the principle of 'One Country, Two Systems', the relationship between the Central Government and the HK SAR, as well as the rights and obligations of HK SAR residents," said Lam.

He noted that the SAR government is committed to further promoting the Basic Law, and has targeted its efforts at enhancing people's interest in and understanding of the Basic Law.

(Xinhua News Agency February 26, 2004)