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China to press ahead with Hong Kong national security law, Carrie Lam says after Beijing meeting

蘋果日報 2020/06/04 12:04


Beijing will press ahead of the legislation of a national security law tailor-made for Hong Kong, the city’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said after meeting with Chinese VIce-Premier Han Zheng.
The law — banning subversion, secession, terrorism and foreign intereference — has triggered international backlash as many believe it would curtail freedoms in the semi-autonomous city. United States President Donald Trump said on Friday that the country would revoke Hong Kong’s preferential trade treatment and sanction mainland Chinese and Hong Kong officials involved in the legislation.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in an opinion piece in the South China Morning Post on Wednesday that the United Kingdom would change immigration rules for British National (Overseas) passport holders if the Chinese government decided to go ahead with the law.
The new rules would allow BN(O) holders to stay in the U.K. for extendable periods of 12 months with the right to work. The passport was created for Hong Kong people before Britain transferred the city’s sovereignty to China in 1997. Currently, holders are allowed to stay in the U.K. for six months but would need a visa to work or study in the country.
Lam said that the meeting in Beijing was arranged so that opinions about the security law could be communicated to Beijing but declined to comment on whether the views of those who opposed the legislation – including those from foreign critics – were relayed during the discussion.
She added that the central government planned to hold opinion-sharing sessions in Shenzhen and Beijing for all members of Hong Kong society to express their views.
However, when asked whether the opinions of the Hong Kong public would be taken into account when it came to drafting the law, Lam clarified that her administration would ultimately have to adhere to the protocols and mechanisms of China’s national-legislation system.
Lam described Trump’s remarks as “intimidations”, adding that every country values its own national security and that “Hong Kong’s competitive advantage is not based on how foreign governments comment on the city.”
Many pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong, however, have remained vocal about their displeasure over the legislation, which could be passed by the National People’s Congress as early as the end of this month.
Tanya Chan, a founding member of the pro-democracy Civic Party, said that it was “laughable” that the Hong Kong people would not be consulted on a law that could directly affect them. Also, while Lam said she would listen to opinions from members of Hong Kong society, Chan pointed out that it was limited to only pro-establishment parties.
Wu Chi-wai, lawmaker and chairman of the Hong Kong Democratic Party, added that the law could restrict Hong Kong people’s views on certain issues.
Wu’s comments were in response to pro-Beijing politician Tam Yiu-chung, who suggested that those who opposed the national security law should be disqualified from the Legislative Council. Tam’s stance has been met with widespread opposition from the pan-democratic camp in Hong Kong.
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