“五十年不变”的三种面孔并论香港基本法的时间观

Three Dimensions of Remaining Unchanged for 50 Years On the Concept of Time in HKSAR Basic Law

《香港基本法》第5条规定:"香港特别行政区不实行社会主义制度和政策,保持原有的资本主义制度和生活方式,五十年不变。""五十年不变"可以从三个层面加以探讨,分别是作为宪法规范的"五十年不变",作为政治承诺的"五十年不变",以及作为国家战略的"五十年不变"。通过这种三位一体的阐释,可以深刻理解一国两制的宪制意义。从"五十年不变"看香港政治,《基本法》设定的不是一种五十年后重新出发的断裂时态,而是包容着一种在连续性轨道上追求与时俱进的民主政治。不理解这一点,从字面意义上无限拔高"港人治港"或"高度自治",无意识甚或有意地忘记《基本法》对高度自治的限定,这种脱离《基本法》空谈自治的做派实乃香港政治乱象的社会心理根源。

According to Article 5 of the Hong Kong Basic Law, ＂the Socialist system and policies shall not be practiced in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the previous capitalist sys- tem and way of life shall remain unchanged for 50 years.＂ The clause of ＂remain unchanged for 50 years＂, after being comprehended respectively as constitutional norm, political commitment, as well as state development strategy, can be constructed as the constitutive part of the doctrine of one country, two systems. The Hong Kong democracy, in its essence, ted by the pre-commitments laid down in the Basic Law. is a reform-oriented progressive polity constitu- High degree of autonomy, which has been au- thorized by the National People＇s Congress in Article 2 of the Basic Law, has its limits from its inception, and the politics of ＂remain unchanged＂ has been a crucial way to set the boundary for high degree of au- tonomy. In this sense, empty and cheap democratic talk, without respect to the text, structure and histo- ry of the Basic Law, is responsible for the outbreak of the extremist movements in the second decade af- ter the recovery of Hong Kong.