March 20, 2024
HONG KONG – Hong Kong will enact the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance on Saturday, announced the city’s leader John Lee Ka-chiu after the city’s legislature passed the bill on its third reading on Tuesday.
Calling it a historic moment for the city that has been overdue for 26 years, eight months and nine days, Lee said it was a glorious mission jointly accomplished by the SAR government and the Legislative Council and a proud moment that the SAR has made concerted efforts to write history.
“Today, the constitutional responsibility and historic mission of legislating for Article 23 of the Basic Law have finally been fulfilled,” Lee said in an address to the LegCo. “The Safeguarding National Security Bill has been passed after the third reading, ensuring the effective protection of national security.”
Lee said the city has lived up to the expectations of the central government and the trust of the country by fulfilling this historic mission. He will sign the Safeguarding National Security Bill and gazette it on Saturday for promulgation. The government should also report the law to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the nation’s top legislature, for the record, as stipulated in Article 17 of the Basic Law.
The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, which aims to prevent and punish five types of crimes endangering national security, was approved by lawmakers on its third reading on Tuesday evening, after passing its second reading and the consideration of the committee of the whole council earlier in the day.
Lee said the ordinance enables Hong Kong to effectively prevent, suppress and punish espionage activities, conspiracies and “traps from foreign intelligence agencies, and infiltration and sabotage by hostile forces”.
“We can effectively prevent ‘black-clad violence’ and ‘color revolution’. We can effectively prevent ‘Hong Kong independence’ and violent destruction,” Lee said, adding that the law will protect the lawful rights and interests of people in the territory and maintain its prosperity and stability.
“We no longer need to worry about saboteurs’ ‘mutual destruction’ threats in Hong Kong and their acts of damaging public facilities, throwing petrol bombs, setting fires, assaulting citizens with differing opinions, pushing Hong Kong into an abyss, and destroying years of our city’s development,” he said.
Lee also thanked the lawmakers for their efficiency, concerted efforts by his team and contributions made by patriotic forces in supporting and advancing the legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law. These efforts drew a satisfactory conclusion to an issue that has plagued the city for over 26 years, Lee said.
“They engaged in intensive scrutiny of the bill, nearly ceaselessly from 9 am to 7 pm on seven consecutive days,” he said. “On one occasion, more than an hour and 20 minutes was spent in the examination of a single clause, while instances where more than 30 minutes was spent on a single clause were aplenty.”
Lee noted that the provisions of the ordinance were written in line with common law conventions, and are “detailed, clear and easy to understand”.
After the passage of the bill, Hong Kong is able to effectively safeguard national security and focus on economic development at full speed to create a better, prosperous home, Lee said.