Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang calls for swift Article 23 legislation, says it will safeguard ‘core national interests’ in Hong Kong
- Chinese vice-premier says fast-tracked approval of domestic national security law will help city shift primary focus to economic development, enhance people’s livelihoods
- He adds completing legislation as soon as possible will make city ‘safer, more open, and more resilient’
Hours after the head of the Central Leading Group on Hong Kong and Macau Affairs made the appeal, the city government announced the national security bill was endorsed by the Executive Council, a top decision-making body, on Thursday afternoon. It is set to be gazetted and introduced to the legislature for the first reading on Friday.
A government source said the latest internal target was to have the bill approved “in early April”, adding a fast-tracked process would “minimise possible manipulation of the topic”.
Ding brought up the domestic national security law, required under Article 23 of the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution, for a second day in a row in his exchanges with Hong Kong representatives attending the “two sessions”, or lianghui.
When meeting with National People’s Congress Hong Kong deputies in Beijing on Thursday morning, Ding said completing the legislation as soon as possible would make the city “safer, more open, and more resilient” and shift its primary focus onto economic development and livelihood improvements, according to delegate Chan Yung.
