Hong Kong to begin consultation on home-grown national security law on Tuesday, sources say
- Chief Executive John Lee, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam and security minister Chris Tang to hold a press conference on Tuesday
- Full draft of legislation will not be made available to public, insider confirms
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu would hold a press conference at 10am on the public consultation of the Article 23 legislation, joined by Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok and security minister Chris Tang Ping-keung, the government said.
Lee will not convene the regular weekly meeting of the city’s key decision-making Executive Council on Tuesday.
A source said Exco members had read the consultation paper.
Another insider confirmed the consultation would not be in a “white bill” format, an arrangement under which a full draft of the legislation is made available to the public.
‘Rebuttal team’ to fight attacks on Hong Kong’s home-grown national security law
Sources earlier said the consultation period would begin before the Lunar New Year holiday in February.
Lee earlier said legislation for Article 23 of the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution, would be completed within this year to expand the scope of national security offences to theft of state secrets, espionage and other acts, which were not part of the Beijing-decreed national security law imposed on Hong Kong in 2020.
Lau Siu-kai, a consultant for semi-official Beijing think tank the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said the timing of the consultation would allow authorities to fully shape the public’s perceptions of the legislation before Lunar New Year.
Lau said he believed the government expected that no other issues would emerge in the coming weeks.
“It also shows that after years of preparation and studies, the government is confident that the draft bill can stand challenges from all sides, particularly external forces,” he said.
Article 23 requires the city to enact is own national security legislation.
Lee last week said the government would set up a “rebuttal team” to counter online attacks on the legislation. He promised to make sure clear explanations would be given to businesspeople, diplomats and international chambers of commerce.
He also told the legislature that by “putting a perfect full stop” to the national security law issue, the city would be able to devote its attention to growing the economy and tackling livelihood problems.
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He said national security threats were mounting and the Article 23 legislation would serve Hong Kong better if it could be done as early as possible.
Lee had said on several occasions the new legislation would complement the Beijing-imposed law to prevent Hong Kong from being involving in any activities that endangered national security.
The Article 23 legislation will also prohibit foreign political organisations or bodies from conducting political activities in Hong Kong, and ban political organisations or bodies in the city from establishing ties with foreign political organisations or bodies.
The first attempt in 2003 to pass the controversial Article 23 bill failed to secure majority support in the legislature after half a million people took to the streets in protest. Authorities were criticised for foregoing a white bill consultation.
