Beijing could take action if Hong Kong fails to enact national security law, mainland adviser warns
Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies vice-chairman Lau Siu-kai’s comments come after Basic Law expert Li Fei says independence advocates are taking advantage of delay
An adviser to Beijing warned on Friday the central government could “take action” to safeguard national security if Hong Kong failed to enact relevant legislation, though an influential mainland legal expert acknowledged the difficulty in passing such a law and said there was no time frame.
Lau Siu-kai, vice-chairman of Beijing’s top think tank on Hong Kong affairs, was speaking a day after Li Fei, a senior mainland official who specialises in the city’s mini-constitution, said Hong Kong was paying the price for the delay, with independence advocates exploiting the lack of a national security law.
Asked on a Commercial Radio programme what would happen if Hong Kong ignored Li’s remarks, Lau replied: “The central government will not easily take action to eliminate any threat to national security originating from Hong Kong.
“But that does not mean that it will not take action at all.”
Lau’s warning was echoed by Ronny Tong Ka-wah, who is an executive councillor advising the city’s leader, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.
