Govt Urged To Hold Off On New National Security Laws

Hong Kong should not bring in national security legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law this legislative year and should instead focus on economic development, vice-chairman of All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese Lo Man-tuen said.

Chief Executive John Lee recently said he wants to see the legislation enacted by the end of 2024 at the latest.

In an opinion piece in Monday's Ming Pao, Lo said the authorities should not put Article 23 legislation on the Legco agenda or even carry out a public consultation exercise in the current legislative year, saying the focus now the pandemic is easing must be on the economy and Hong Kong fulfilling its role to link China to the rest of the world.

"Hong Kong should race against time to win back lost opportunities. This is the SAR's most urgent mission and the people's biggest wish. The controversial matters should be set aside," he wrote.

Lo, who is also a senior DAB member, argued that local security laws are not urgent since the national security law took effect here in 2020.

He warned that if the SAR government brings up the issue of Article 23 legislation, Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party may make use of the ensuing controversy to win votes in next year's elections and block China's peaceful unification.

Lau Siu-kai, a consultant for the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said he mostly agrees that there is no urgency for Article 23 legislation amid easing threats to national security in the short term.

But Lau also said the relevant work can't be postponed indefinitely and should start in the next year or two. He said this is because China and Hong Kong face increasing suppression and threats from the United States and other western countries.

The Security Bureau, meanwhile, said the SAR government will continue to take forward the legislative work in a proactive manner and will launch a public consultation exercise at a suitable time.