However, Hong Kong is part of China, which has a civil-law system, under which the ultimate power of interpretation is vested in the NPC's Standing Committee (SC).

CNN: A NEW CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER

To advocate an open-ended qualification of the common-law system by introducing unspecified civil-law concepts is to betray the basic spirit and intent of the "basic policies" and the Basic Law.

CNN: HOLD TO THE COMMON LAW

The states are ceding many blocking powers, but in return for new ones from the federal level, particularly in higher education, the penal system and civil-service law.

ECONOMIST: German reform