Hong Kong must be ready to ‘bite the bullet’ and take potshots after passing of Article 23 bill in its stride and assuage worries: analysts

Experts say government must ‘redouble’ efforts to tackle worries raised by overseas community to preserve city’s position as international hub

Exco member Ronny Tong, also a barrister, says he hopes law will never be used to prove its deterrent effect had preserved social stability

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Andrew Leung, the Legco president, and council members after the legislature passed the city’s Article 23 bill. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Published: 9:30am, 20 Mar 2024Updated: 1:55pm, 20 Mar 2024

Hong Kong will have to “bite the bullet” and confront “unavoidable” repercussions from possible punitive actions by foreign powers after the domestic national security law comes into force on Saturday, observers have said.

They appealed to the government to redouble efforts to tackle concerns about the Article 23 legislation, particularly worries raised by the overseas community, who could find themselves entangled in the national security web, to minimise any unintended effects and help maintain the city’s status as an international hub.

Ronny Tong Ka-wah, a barrister and a member of the Executive Council, the government’s key decision-making body, said he hoped the new law “would never be tested in court”, like similar legislation in Macau enacted in 2009.

Tong explained that would show that the legislation’s deterrent effect had contributed to social stability.

“Once prosecutions are initiated, there is no way to win,” he said. “Hong Kong will face criticism regardless of whether a suspect is found guilty or not.”

Barrister and Executive Council member Ronny Tong says if domestic national security legislation is never invoked, it will underline its contribution to social stability in the city. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Tong added possible punitive measures by the United States and its allies against Hong Kong’s economic development were “unavoidable”.