Hong Kong will forge ahead with plans to pass Article 23 national security law, justice secretary says
- Secretary for Justice Paul Lam concludes five-day trip to capital, where he met Beijing’s top man overseeing Hong Kong affairs
- ‘There were many discussions surrounding national security as this is an important topic,’ Lam says
Hong Kong will forge ahead with plans to pass a local version of the Beijing-imposed national security law, the justice secretary has pledged, after meeting a top mainland Chinese official overseeing the city’s affairs.
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok on Friday said national security was on the agenda during his meetings with Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, and officials from 11 departments in Beijing.
While concluding his first trip to the capital, Lam said the “very high level of reception” he had received from the delegation reflected Beijing’s trust in Hong Kong’s government.
When asked if the discussions touched on the legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution, Lam said: “Completing it is our constitutional responsibility. There is only one so-called timetable - it is as soon as possible.”
“There were many discussions surrounding national security as this is an important topic. But it’s not appropriate for us to disclose what we have talked about exactly.”
During his five-day trip, the justice secretary met with officials from the Legislative Affairs Commission, the Basic Law Committee and the Ministry of Justice, with the aim of strengthening cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong concerning their respective legal systems.
Ahead of his trip, Lam said the authorities hoped to enact the legislation this year, or by the end of 2024 at the latest.