Hong Kong leader John Lee to explain domestic security law to diplomats, foreign and local business groups
Hong Kong Free Press
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee has announced that he will meet with representatives from consulates, foreign chambers of commerce and local business groups to explain the proposed new security legislation.
The city’s leader will hold a meeting on Tuesday afternoon to explain the contents of the 110-page consultation paper and answer questions from the interest groups, Lee said at a regular press briefing on Tuesday.
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam and Secretary for Security Chris Tang will attend the meeting as well.
Article 23 of the Basic Law stipulates that the government shall enact laws on its own to prohibit acts of treason, secession, sedition and subversion against Beijing. Its legislation failed in 2003 following mass protests and it remained taboo until after the onset of the separate, Beijing-imposed security law in 2020. Pro-democracy advocates fear it could have a negative effect on civil liberties but the authorities say there is a constitutional duty to ratify it.
See also: Article 23 then and now: What changed between 2002 and 2024
More than 20 years since the 2003 debacle, Hong Kong authorities released the consultation document last week and gave members of the public four weeks to express their views. The consultation period began last Tuesday.
Last Friday, local newspaper Ming Pao reported that the US consulate general said Hong Kong was home to a large amount of foreign direct investment and many foreigners residing in the city. The US would “carefully examine” the legislative proposal to understand its potential impact on American citizens and companies, it said.
The consulate added it would continue to speak out and oppose any attempt to use national security legislation to suppress freedom of speech and basic rights in Hong Kong.
‘Winning formula‘
Lee said that during the first week of the consultation exercise, the justice minister and security chief had met with different groups to explain the legislative proposal. They included two legal professional groups, district councillors, community care teams and representatives of the finance and media sectors, he said.
“I’ve said it before – any economic activity in society needs a safe and stable environment. Our legislation this time is for ensuring the safety and stability of Hong Kong’s business and investment environment, to continue to let Hong Kong be an attractive and competitive international city,” he said in Cantonese.
He added that several local chambers of commerce had shown support for the legislation, with some saying that a “rigorous and reasonable” legal foundation was the “winning formula” for maintaining social stability in Hong Kong’s and protecting corporate interests.
In June 2020, Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong’s mini-constitution following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It outlawed subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts, but it did not target all seven offences listed in Article 23.
The Hong Kong leader said last June that the homegrown security law would “definitely” be enacted within that year or the next year at the latest, before vowing during last year’s Policy Address that legislation would be completed in 2024.
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