Plans for the Chinese central government to install an adviser in Hong Kong’s new national security commission deviate from existing arrangements in Macao, which has a similar organization but no Beijing-appointed adviser.

Analysts suggest this may be a sign of Beijing’s lack of confidence in the ability of Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, to handle national security issues.

The high-level national security commission, to be set up by the Hong Kong government, will have Lam as the chairperson. Most of the other members will be top local government officials save for the consultant assigned by Beijing, who will play an advisory role, according to a press statement issued by official state media Xinhua on Saturday.

A similar organization formed in Macao in 2018 does not have a Beijing-appointed adviser.
The Xinhua statement did not specify which mainland department the adviser would come from.
In response to an Apply Daily enquiry, Au Kam-san, a member of the Legislative Assembly of Macao, said Macao’s Commission on the Defence of National Security had not done any solid work or released any meeting minutes to the public since its establishment.

Au was disconcerted by claims that Hong Kong’s planned national security commission, like the Macao counterpart, would have minimal impact on society. The political situation and government operations of Macao were different from Hong Kong’s in many ways, he said.

For instance, Macao’s legislative committees do not release its meeting minutes and most of the committees established by the government are chaired by the chief executive, according to Au.
Beijing last month announced plans to bypass the Hong Kong legislature and insert a set of laws into the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution. The looming legislation seeks to prohibit acts of succession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign and external influences that Beijing deems to be threats to national security.

---------------------------------
Apple Daily’s all-new English Edition is now available on the mobile app
To know more: https://bit.ly/2yMMfQE
Apple Daily mobile app latest version DOWNLOAD NOW