Ah yes, but there's this dramatic difference after July 2, 1997: those laws are administered by officials of the so-called "People's Republic of China." The "bourgeois" concept of "rule of law," so important to the success of Hong Kong while a British colony, means little or nothing to Chinese Communist cadres. For Chinese "New Wave" cinema fans, I recommend Zhang Yimou's "Story of Qiu Ju," which among other things is a damning indictment of law in the "PRC," as well as a chance for the sumptuous actress Gong Li to play a dramatic role without dressing up like a Shanghai hooker throughout the movie.