WHEREAS Article 18 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China provides that the national laws listed in Annex III to the Basic Law shall be applied locally by way of promulgation or legislation by the Region and that the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress may add to or delete from the list of laws in Annex III after consulting its Committee for the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the government of the Region.