The government's push to have Article 23 laws passed by Wednesday appears to have hit a wall of political resistance
The government may have to postpone the passage of its controversial national security legislation after a key legislative ally said yesterday it favoured a delay until December.
Liberal Party leader James Tien Pei-chun announced his party's new position on his return from Beijing, where he held discussions with central government officials in charge of Hong Kong affairs.
Mr Tien, a member of the Executive Council, left in the middle of an urgent council meeting on Thursday afternoon and flew to Beijing for talks with Liao Hui, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office.
On his return from Beijing last night, Mr Tien said he had been given a clear indication that the central leadership insisted only that the law be enacted, and that it did not have any views on its details or the timetable for its passage.
'While enacting Article 23 is a must, the question of how and when is within Hong Kong's autonomy,' he said.