Editorial | Local approach best on China’s anti-sanctions law
- Hong Kong must protect its reputation as an international finance centre and the move will allow time for consultation with the business sector
Hong Kong will be able to act on its own accord under China’s new anti-sanctions law to counter American measures against officials accused of eroding the city’s freedoms.
The question is how to apply the law in the city, given critics’ concerns that international firms or banks operating here and complying with US sanctions could find themselves caught in the middle of tit-for-tat actions.
This would not be good for the city’s reputation as a financial hub. On the other hand, there are those who consider countermeasures necessary when the city’s key officials are under sanctions, and that being a financial hub should not rule out retaliation.
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The law will be included in Annex 3 of the Basic Law, but not promulgated directly by Beijing as with the national security law, a national law specifically designed for Hong Kong.
As the Post reported exclusively, Beijing will allow the city to adopt the law through local legislation, which gives time for deliberation, explanation and consultation with the business sector.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has made clear her preference for this approach.
Previous examples of such legislation are the national flag, emblem and anthem laws, with the latter including some fine tuning in its application.