Many public servants in Hong Kong may be forced to quit their jobs because they refused to pledge an oath of loyalty to the Chinese regime. All Hong Kong civil servants were required to take an oath or sign a declaration to uphold the Basic Law and pledge allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) by the end of February. On March 8, Patrick Nip Tak-kuen, the secretary for the Civil Service, stated in a press conference that nearly 200 civil servants are about to leave their jobs as they have refused to sign the declaration and pledge of allegiance.