NPC Approves New Security Law For HK

Beijing's top legislature has approved plans for national security legislation for Hong Kong that bans “activities” that endanger national security, but makes no reference to foreign judges being barred from handling such cases.

The resolution was submitted before the National People's Congress (NPC) on Thursday afternoon and approved by 2,878 votes to 1 and 6 abstentions.

The NPC’s Standing Committee will now draft the exact wording of the legislation in the coming months, before it is added to Annex III of the Basic Law and applied to Hong Kong through promulgation.

The chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, Li Zhanshu, said the decision was in line with the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ principle, as well as the “fundamental interests of the people in the mainland and the Hong Kong residents.”

Speaking as he announced the closing of congress’s plenary session this year, Li said the legislation would safeguard national security, sovereignty, and development interests, as well as Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability.

The resolution approved by the NPC paves the way for the setting up of mainland security agencies in Hong Kong, in order to uphold national security within the SAR.

But despite some suggestions from a Hong Kong delegate to the NPC, the idea of barring foreign judges from handling relevant cases in local courts has not been included.

The final version of the resolution confirmed an RTHK report that the scope of the draft legislation had been expanded.

The latest paper says the law will cover not just "acts" that threaten the state, but also "activities" that endanger national security. Some critics have raised concerns that this is too wide and could be used to even target bystanders during a demonstration.

In its preface, it said the NPC saw the risk to national security in Hong Kong had becoming obvious in recent years, highlighting activities that advocate "Hong Kong independence, secession and terrorism".

It said these illegal activities have seriously endangered national sovereignty, and that some foreign forces have publicly intervened into Hong Kong affairs, making use of the city in activities that endanger China’s security.

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