Hong Kong’s Article 23 law: Beijing says ‘clumsy political shows’ by foreign forces won’t upset city’s path to prosperity

Post learns city leader John Lee may sign domestic national security law on Friday, before authorities publish legislation in ‘special edition’ of gazette on Saturday

China’s foreign ministry’s arm in Hong Kong bats back at United States, Canada and Japan for ‘smears and attacks’ against Article 23 legislation

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Beijing has batted back against foreign critics of the Article 23 law for two straight days. Photo: May Tse

Published: 7:29pm, 21 Mar 2024Updated: 11:51am, 22 Mar 2024

“Clumsy political shows” by foreign forces will not undermine Hong Kong’s journey towards prosperity, Beijing’s foreign ministry arm in the city has said as it struck back at Western nations’ attacks on the domestic national security law for a second day.

The war of words between China and foreign critics has intensified in the run-up to the Article 23 law taking effect. The Post has learned Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu may sign the law on Friday followed by authorities publishing the legislation in a “special edition” of the gazette the next day.

The commissioner’s office for China’s foreign affairs ministry in Hong Kong defended the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance on Thursday, slamming the United States, Canada and Japan for their “smears and attacks” on the law.

In a strongly worded statement titled: “The clumsy political shows of certain external forces cannot derail Hong Kong’s trajectory from stability to prosperity”, the office said certain countries and politicians had turned a blind eye to their own nations’ extensive and stringent security laws.

Beijing accused the ordinance’s opponents of making “unfounded criticisms and baseless smears” targeting the legislation, the enactment of which is a constitutional responsibility under Article 23 of Hong Kong’s Basic Law mini-constitution

“These are blatant acts of hypocritical double standards and a deliberate manipulation for the sake of ulterior motives,” a spokesman for the office said, two days after the city’s legislature passed the law.