Hong Kong enacts security law changes within 1 day amid geopolitical tensions

Hong Kong has enacted subsidiary legislation to its domestic security law, designating six premises under Beijing’s national security office in the city as “prohibited places” and imposing a maximum jail term of seven years for providing false information to the agency, including acts carried out elsewhere.

The legislation was gazetted on Tuesday, just a day after the government unveiled the proposals, with a spokesman saying the measures had to be enacted as soon as possible because of “potential unforeseen circumstances amid escalating geopolitical tensions”.

The gazetted subsidiary legislation to the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance was signed by acting chief executive Eric Chan Kwok-ki as the city’s leader, John Lee Ka-chiu, is in Kuwait for a business trip.

A government spokesman said the legislation was “essential” for ensuring the “effective performance” of Beijing’s Office for Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong and the authorities would make “every effort” for the early completion of scrutiny of the new laws.

“Against the increasingly turbulent global geopolitical landscape, national security risks to which Hong Kong is exposed can arise all of a sudden,” the spokesman said.

“Therefore, the Hong Kong government must perform its constitutional duty to … better implement the mechanisms for safeguarding national security, and prevent and tackle in a timely manner national security risks that may arise unexpectedly.”