| Abstract | The Ninth National People's Congress (NPC), the mainland's parliament, opened in Beijing on 5 March 1998; this was preceded by a meeting of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Committee (CPPCC), a national advisory body of mostly nominated representatives of non-communist, political and social groups. The Hong Kong delegation was in a unique position, as they represented the mainland's only Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China. The SAR's enormous economic strength helps its delegates to be heard in Beijing. Powerful or not, the NPC and CPPCC provide Hong Kong's only built-in direct access to influence Beijing. |
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