Annex III refers to the list appended to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (and the parallel Annex III to the Macao Basic Law), enacted by the National People's Congress on 4 April 1990 and effective from 1 July 1997. Under the "one country, two systems" framework devised by Deng Xiaoping and codified in the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984, Hong Kong retains its own legal system and national laws of the PRC do not apply locally — except those laws listed in Annex III. Article 18 of the Basic Law is the operative provision: it stipulates that national laws shall not be applied in the HKSAR except for those listed in Annex III, which are confined to laws relating to defence, foreign affairs, and other matters outside the limits of the Region's autonomy. Such laws are applied either by promulgation or by local legislation by the SAR itself.
The mechanism works as follows. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) may add to or delete from the list in Annex III after consulting its Committee for the Basic Law of the HKSAR and the government of the Region — a procedure set out in Article 18(3). The original 1997 list contained instruments such as the Resolution on the Capital, Calendar, National Anthem and National Flag, the Nationality Law, and the Law on Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities. Article 18(4) further permits the Central People's Government to issue an order applying the relevant national laws in the Region in the event that the NPCSC declares a state of war or decides the Region is in a state of emergency beyond the control of the SAR government.
In practice, Annex III became the principal channel through which Beijing extended mainland statutes to Hong Kong amid the post-2019 political crisis. On 30 June 2020 the NPCSC enacted the Law of the PRC on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR (the National Security Law) and immediately listed it in Annex III, after which Chief Executive Carrie Lam promulgated it locally the same day — bypassing the Legislative Council. Earlier, the National Flag and National Emblem laws were added, and the National Anthem Law was inserted into Annex III in 2017 before local enactment as the National Anthem Ordinance in 2020. As of 2026 Annex III contains over a dozen national laws, and its use remains the constitutional bridge between the Standing Committee's legislative authority and the SAR's otherwise autonomous legal order.
For the exam, Annex III appears chiefly in the China Political System and Comparative Government segments, and in International Relations papers dealing with Hong Kong's status. Examiners typically test the candidate's grasp of Article 18 of the Basic Law, the distinction between "promulgation" and "local legislation," and the role of the NPCSC versus the NPC. A frequent question angle links Annex III to the 2020 National Security Law to illustrate the limits of Hong Kong's autonomy under "one country, two systems." Aspirants should be able to name the dated instances and cite the exact Basic Law provisions rather than describe the arrangement generically.
Example
On 30 June 2020, the NPC Standing Committee listed the Hong Kong National Security Law in Annex III, and Chief Executive Carrie Lam promulgated it locally that same evening, bypassing the Legislative Council.
Frequently asked questions
Article 18 of the Hong Kong Basic Law governs Annex III. It provides that national laws do not apply in the HKSAR except those listed in Annex III, which must concern defence, foreign affairs, or matters outside the Region's autonomy.