Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs tells city leader he’s ‘very satisfied’ with quick passage of Article 23 national security law
- Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office director Xia Baolong meets Chief Executive John Lee and other top officials in Shenzhen for update on city’s latest developments
- Political analyst says meeting serves not only to boost Hong Kong officials’ morale but also convey central government’s instructions
“Hong Kong can now stride forward confidently on the prosperous path of development, focusing its full attention on developing a vibrant economy and a caring community,” Lee said, two days after the bill was unanimously passed by lawmakers.
The new law would allow Hong Kong to “establish solid fortifications and consolidate its defence wall” in the transition from the chaos of the anti-government protests in 2019 to order.
“It was a glorious achievement of the implementation of the principle of ‘patriots administering Hong Kong’,” Lee said, referring to Beijing’s overhaul of the electoral system in 2021, a year after it imposed a national security law on Hong Kong.
Lee also said the legislation had “strong popular support” and its early completion was the “consensus” of the local community. Less than two months separated the start of the public consultation exercise for the bill and its passage.
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Hong Kong passes domestic national security law, fast-tracking legislation shelved for 2 decades
The first attempt to legislate Article 23 was shelved in the face of massive public opposition in 2003 and led to the resignation of then-secretary of security Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee.
Attendees at the meeting in Shenzhen included Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok and security chief Chris Tang Ping-keung, who both played a key role in the creation and passage of the law, as well as Chief Executive Office Director Carol Yip Man-kuen.
Two sources attending the meeting said Xia, the director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), highly praised Lee and the officials, and was “very satisfied” with their hard work in passing the bill quickly, which Beijing had requested.
Four office vice-ministers also attended the meeting: Zhou Ji, Wang Linggui, Nong Rong and Zheng Yanxiong, who also serves as director of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong.
On the same day, Xia also met a delegation led by Legislative Council President Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen and listened to their briefing of “relevant works”, according to the office.
A photo released by the HKMAO on Thursday night shows members of the Legco bills committee, which was tasked with scrutinising the legislation, as well as government top advisers from the Executive Council, including convenor Ip and Ronny Tong Ka-wah, also attended the meeting.
Lau Siu-kai, a consultant for Beijing’s semi-official think tank, the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said he believed that Thursday’s meeting served not only to boost Hong Kong officials’ morale, but also convey the central government’s instructions.
“The next step lies not only in developing the economy, but also responding to the smears and attacks, even sanctions lodged by foreign countries,” Lau said. “This is going to be a very tough battle to handle”
This is the second time in a month that city officials briefed Xia on “relevant work reports”. The last one was held on March 10, two days after Hong Kong’s legislature started vetting the national security legislation.
‘Foreign force’s clumsy efforts won’t upset Hong Kong’s path to prosperity’
During the visit, he told 40 local and foreign business chambers that the city’s “one country, two systems” governing principle would remain a permanent feature and also discussed the coming law.
The office director earlier this month urged Hong Kong to remain vigilant over possible sabotage by foreign forces during the legislative process.
Xia issued the call as he met Hong Kong delegates at the country’s “two sessions” annual political gathering in Beijing, just four days before the bill was gazetted and presented to the legislature.
Delegates quoted Xia as saying he hoped the legislation could be completed “as soon as possible” to ensure Hong Kong could focus on its economic development.
Hong Kong lawmakers unanimously passed the bill on Tuesday after 12 days of marathon review proceedings.
The new law covers 39 offences divided into five categories: treason; insurrection, incitement to mutiny and disaffection, and acts with seditious intent; sabotage; external interference; and theft of state secrets and espionage.
The crimes of treason, insurrection, inciting members of the Chinese armed forces to mutiny, and colluding with external forces to damage public infrastructure are punishable by up to life imprisonment.
