法律文本

全国人民代表大会常务委员会关于《中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法》第十三条第一款和第十九条的解释

Interpretation of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Paragraph 1, Article 13 and Article 19 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China

（２０１１年８月２６日第十一届全国人民代表大会常务委员会第二十二次会议通过）

(Adopted at the 22nd session of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress on August 26, 2011)

第十一届全国人民代表大会常务委员会第二十二次会议审议了委员长会议关于提请审议《全国人民代表大会常务委员会关于〈中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法〉第十三条第一款和第十九条的解释（草案）》的议案。委员长会议的议案是应香港特别行政区终审法院依据《中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法》第一百五十八条第三款的规定提请全国人民代表大会常务委员会解释《中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法》有关规定的报告提出的。

At its 22nd Meeting, the Standing Committee of the Eleventh National People's Congress examined the motion proposed by the Council of Chairmen requesting examination of the Draft Interpretation by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Regarding Paragraph 1 of Article 13 and Article 19 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. The motion of the Council of Chairmen was submitted upon the report by the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region requesting the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress to interpret the relevant provisions of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 3, Article 158 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.

香港特别行政区终审法院在审理一起与刚果民主共和国有关的案件时，涉及香港特别行政区是否应适用中央人民政府决定采取的国家豁免规则或政策的问题。为此，香港特别行政区终审法院依据《中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法》第一百五十八条第三款的规定，提请全国人民代表大会常务委员会解释如下问题：“

The Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region needs to ascertain, in adjudicating a case involving the Democratic Republic of the Congo, whether the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region should apply the rules or policies on state immunity as determined by the Central People's Government. For this purpose, in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 3, Article 158 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, requests the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress to make an interpretation of the following questions: "

（１）根据第十三条第一款的真正解释，中央人民政府是否有权力决定中华人民共和国的国家豁免规则或政策；

(1) whether on the true interpretation of Paragraph 1, Article 13, the Central People's Government has the power to determine the rule or policy of the People's Republic of China on state immunity;

（２）如有此权力的话，根据第十三条第一款和第十九条的真正解释，香港特别行政区（‘香港特区’）（包括香港特区的法院）是否：①有责任援用或实施中央人民政府根据第十三条第一款所决定的国家豁免规则或政策；或②反之，可随意偏离中央人民政府根据第十三条第一款所决定的国家豁免规则或政策，并采取一项不同的规则；

(2) if so empowered, is the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (‘HKSAR’) (including the courts of the HKSAR), in the true interpretation of paragraph 1 of Article 13 and Article 19: (i) responsible for the application or enforcement of a rule or policy on state immunity determined by the Central People’s Government in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 13; or (ii) conversely, liable for arbitrary deviation from a rule or policy on state immunity determined by the Central People’s Government in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 13, by a different rule;

（３）中央人民政府决定国家豁免规则或政策是否属于《基本法》第十九条第三款第一句中所说的‘国防、外交等国家行为’；以及

(3) whether the determination by the Central People's Government as to the rule or policy on state immunity falls within 'acts of state such as defence and foreign affairs' in the first sentence of Paragraph 3, Article 19 of the Basic Law; and

（４）香港特区成立后，第十三条第一款、第十九条和香港作为中华人民共和国的特别行政区的地位，对香港原有（即１９９７年７月１日之前）的有关国家豁免的普通法（如果这些法律与中央人民政府根据第十三条第一款所决定的国家豁免规则或政策有抵触）所带来的影响，是否令到这些普通法法律，须按照《基本法》第八条和第一百六十条及于１９９７年２月２３日根据第一百六十条作出的《全国人民代表大会常务委员会的决定》的规定，在适用时作出必要的变更、适应、限制或例外，以确保关于这方面的普通法符合中央人民政府所决定的国家豁免规则或政策。”香港特别行政区终审法院上述提请解释的做法符合《中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法》第一百五十八条第三款的规定。

(4) After the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the provisions of paragraph 1 of Article 13, Article 19 and the status of Hong Kong as a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China which affect pre-existing Hong Kong (that is, before 1 July 1997) common law in respect of state immunity (to the extent that these laws are in conflict with rules or policies on state immunity as determined by the Central People's Government in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 13) and whether or not these common law laws shall be applied with such modifications, adaptations, limitations or exceptions as may be necessary in accordance with the provisions of Articles 8 and 160 of the Basic Law and the Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress taken on 23 February 1997 in accordance with Article 160 of the Basic Law in order to ensure that general law in respect thereof is in conformity with the rules or policies on state immunity as determined by the Central People's Government. "The above request for interpretation by the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region complies with the provisions of Paragraph 3, Article 158 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.

根据《中华人民共和国宪法》第六十七条第（四）项和《中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法》第一百五十八条的规定，并征询全国人民代表大会常务委员会香港特别行政区基本法委员会的意见，全国人民代表大会常务委员会就香港特别行政区终审法院提请解释的《中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法》第十三条第一款和第十九条的规定以及相关问题，作如下解释：

In accordance with Subparagraph (4), Article 67 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and Article 158 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, and after consulting the Committee for the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region under the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, in relation to the request for interpretation by the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, hereby makes the following interpretation of the provisions of Paragraph 1, Article 13 and Article 19 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, and related questions:

一、关于香港特别行政区终审法院提请解释的第（１）个问题。依照《中华人民共和国宪法》第八十九条第（九）项的规定，国务院即中央人民政府行使管理国家对外事务的职权，国家豁免规则或政策属于国家对外事务中的外交事务范畴，中央人民政府有权决定中华人民共和国的国家豁免规则或政策，在中华人民共和国领域内统一实施。基于上述，根据《中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法》第十三条第一款关于“中央人民政府负责管理与香港特别行政区有关的外交事务”的规定，管理与香港特别行政区有关的外交事务属于中央人民政府的权力，中央人民政府有权决定在香港特别行政区适用的国家豁免规则或政策。

I. On question (1) on which an interpretation is sought by the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. According to Subparagraph (9), Article 89 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, the State Council as the Central People's Government exercises the function and power to conduct the foreign affairs of the State; as the rules or policies on state immunity fall within the scope of foreign affairs in the foreign affairs of the State, the Central People's Government has the power to determine the rules or policies of the People's Republic of China on state immunity to be implemented uniformly within the territory of the People's Republic of China. Based on the above, in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 1, Article 13 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China that "[t] he Central People's Government shall be responsible for the foreign affairs relating to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region", the conduct of the foreign affairs relating to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region falls within the power of the Central People's Government.

二、关于香港特别行政区终审法院提请解释的第（２）个问题。依照《中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法》第十三条第一款和本解释第一条的规定，中央人民政府有权决定在香港特别行政区适用的国家豁免规则或政策；依照《中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法》第十九条和本解释第三条的规定，香港特别行政区法院对中央人民政府决定国家豁免规则或政策的行为无管辖权。因此，香港特别行政区法院在审理案件时遇有外国国家及其财产管辖豁免和执行豁免问题，须适用和实施中央人民政府决定适用于香港特别行政区的国家豁免规则或政策。基于上述，根据《中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法》第十三条第一款和第十九条的规定，香港特别行政区，包括香港特别行政区法院，有责任适用或实施中央人民政府决定采取的国家豁免规则或政策，不得偏离上述规则或政策，也不得采取与上述规则或政策不同的规则。

II、 On question (2) on which an interpretation is sought by the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. According to the provisions of Paragraph 1, Article 13 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and Article 1 of this Interpretation, the Central People's Government has the power to determine the rules or policies on state immunity to be applied in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. According to the provisions of Article 19 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and Article 3 of this Interpretation, the courts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region have no jurisdiction over the act of the Central People's Government in determining the rules or policies on state immunity. Therefore, when questions of immunity from jurisdiction and immunity from execution of foreign states and their property arise in the adjudication of cases, the courts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region must apply and give effect to the rules or policies on state immunity determined by the Central People's Government as being applicable to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Based on the above, in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 1, Article 13 and Article 19 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, including the courts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is under a duty to apply or give effect to the rules or policies on state immunity that the Central People's Government has determined, and must not depart from the above rules or policies nor adopt a rule that is different from the above rules or policies.

三、关于香港特别行政区终审法院提请解释的第（３）个问题。国家豁免涉及一国法院对外国国家及其财产是否拥有管辖权，外国国家及其财产在一国法院是否享有豁免，直接关系到该国的对外关系和国际权利与义务。因此，决定国家豁免规则或政策是一种涉及外交的国家行为。基于上述，《中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法》第十九条第三款规定的“国防、外交等国家行为”包括中央人民政府决定国家豁免规则或政策的行为。

III、 On question (3) on which an interpretation is sought by the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. State immunity concerns whether the courts of a state have jurisdiction over foreign states and their properties and whether foreign states and their properties enjoy immunity in the courts of a state, which has a direct bearing on the state's external relations and international rights and obligations. Thus, the determination of a rule or policy of State immunity is a State act involving diplomacy. Based on the above, "acts of state such as defence and foreign affairs" as stipulated in Paragraph 3, Article 19 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China includes the act of the Central People's Government in determining the rule or policy on state immunity.

四、关于香港特别行政区终审法院提请解释的第（４）个问题。依照《中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法》第八条和第一百六十条的规定，香港原有法律只有在不抵触《中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法》的情况下才予以保留。根据《全国人民代表大会常务委员会关于根据〈中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法〉第一百六十条处理香港原有法律的决定》第四条的规定，采用为香港特别行政区法律的香港原有法律，自１９９７年７月１日起，在适用时，应作出必要的变更、适应、限制或例外，以符合中华人民共和国对香港恢复行使主权后香港的地位和《基本法》的有关规定。香港特别行政区作为中华人民共和国一个享有高度自治权的地方行政区域，直辖于中央人民政府，必须执行中央人民政府决定的国家豁免规则或政策。香港原有法律中有关国家豁免的规则必须符合上述规定才能在１９９７年７月１日后继续适用。基于上述，根据《中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法》第十三条第一款和第十九条的规定，依照《全国人民代表大会常务委员会关于根据〈中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法〉第一百六十条处理香港原有法律的决定》采用为香港特别行政区法律的香港原有法律中有关国家豁免的规则，从１９９７年７月１日起，在适用时，须作出必要的变更、适应、限制或例外，以符合中央人民政府决定采取的国家豁免规则或政策。

IV、 On question (4) on which an interpretation is sought by the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. According to the provisions of Articles 8 and 160 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, the laws previously in force in Hong Kong shall be maintained only if they do not contravene the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. In accordance with the provisions of Article 4 of the Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Treatment of the Laws Previously in Force in Hong Kong in accordance with Article 160 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, such of the laws previously in force in Hong Kong which have been adopted as the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall, as from 1 July 1997, be applied subject to such modifications, adaptations, limitations or exceptions as are necessary so as to bring them into conformity with the status of Hong Kong after resumption by the People's Republic of China of the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong as well as to be in conformity with the relevant provisions of the Basic Law. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as a local administrative region of the People's Republic of China that enjoys a high degree of autonomy and comes directly under the Central People's Government, must give effect to the rules or policies on state immunity as determined by the Central People's Government. The laws previously in force in Hong Kong relating to the rules on state immunity may continue to be applied after 1 July 1997 only if they comply with the above requirements. Based on the above, in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 1, Article 13 and Article 19 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, and in accordance with the Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Treatment of the Laws Previously in Force in Hong Kong in accordance with Article 160 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, the rules on state immunity in the laws previously in force in Hong Kong which have been adopted as the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall, as of 1 July 1997, be applied subject to such modifications, adaptations, limitations or exceptions as are necessary so as to be consistent with the rules or policies on state immunity that the Central People's Government has determined.

现予公告。

It is hereby announced.