Hong Kong’s John Lee vows to step up intelligence gathering, analysis for law enforcement after Article 23 legislation

Chief Executive John Lee says training must be strengthened to ‘resist espionage activities and the infiltration of intelligence units from various countries’

He also calls on firms to explain ‘merits’ of new domestic national security law overseas, while pledging to develop education and concentrate efforts on economy

Reading Time:3 minutes

Flags on a bridge in Wan Chai. John Lee says authorities will combine education on national security, patriotism and Chinese culture to prevent risks to the country’s safety. Photo: Jelly Tse

Published: 12:16pm, 26 Mar 2024Updated: 9:19pm, 26 Mar 2024

Hong Kong’s leader has vowed to increase the intelligence gathering and analysis capacities of law enforcement agencies following the enactment of the city’s domestic national security legislation, while urging firms to speak up and explain its “merits” abroad.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday also pledged to boost public education on patriotism and ensure the legislation would be “strictly enforced” as he outlined plans to develop the economy on four fronts after fulfilling the city’s constitutional responsibility to pass the ordinance under Article 23 of the Basic Law.

“The purpose of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance is to effectively prevent, stop and punish behaviours and activities that endanger national security,” he told the press before his weekly Executive Council meeting with top advisers.

“To resist espionage activities and the infiltration of intelligence units from various countries, it is necessary to strengthen training on intelligence gathering capabilities and analysis.”

Lee said law enforcement agencies would enforce the legislation strictly, while the government would combine education on national security, patriotism and Chinese culture to jointly prevent risks to the country’s safety at the school level, among a wide range of tasks.

The city leader was speaking on the fourth day since the new law took effect, after the key officials spearheading the earlier legislative efforts paired up to defend the new law in a string of media interviews.

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