Hong Kong leader John Lee vows to step up intelligence collection, analysis for law enforcement after Article 23 legislation

“To resist espionage activities and the infiltration of intelligence units from various countries, it is necessary to strengthen training on intelligence collection capabilities and analysis.”

Lee said law enforcement agencies would enforce the legislation strictly, while the government would combine education on national security, patriotism and Chinese culture to jointly prevent risks to the country’s safety at the school level, among a wide range of tasks.

The city leader was speaking on the fourth day since the new law took effect, after the key officials spearheading the earlier legislative efforts paired up to defend the new law in media interviews. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok, one of the officials, also said the government had prepared a plan to respond to the “unfriendly” manoeuvres by Western politicians.

Foreign firms in Hong Kong review operations for domestic national security law

Lee did not elaborate on the plan on Tuesday, but said many overseas politicians and organisations would continue “to attack Hong Kong and our law” because of their political interests and aims.

“A lot of them turn a blind eye to what we have done when we [have] so confidently and openly written the protection and safeguard of human rights and freedoms into our law, which may not be the case in their own country’s law,” he said.

“So when people do all these attacks, [we should] think not just twice, but thrice. Who are the people who are saying this? And in recent [court] cases, we see that there is evidence to indicate overseas politicians have been actively interfering with Hong Kong affairs.”

Lee said the government would continue to explain the merits of the legislation, which was a “defensive law to protect our own interests”.

“We will, of course, during our visit to overseas countries, continue to inform the business sector of the advantage of this law, which is to create stability and security, without which no investment can ever hope to thrive,” he said.

“We’ll also be coordinating people from different sectors when they are overseas on their business trips or when they form delegations to do their work, they will tell people of different countries, the business sector in particular, what this law is all about … I’m sure that a lot of people who love Hong Kong are very willing to do [so].”

Hong Kong has ‘practical plans’ to counter Article 23 law sanctions: officials

Lee said the city could now concentrate its efforts on promoting the economy and development in four areas, which were to implement measures suggested in his policy address and budget, seize opportunities, enhance competitiveness and develop the local economy.

The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, which was required by Article 23 of the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution, came into force last Saturday after it sped through the legislature in a series of marathon sessions just 50 days from the launch of the month-long public consultation.

The legislation complements the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020 and covers 39 offences divided into five categories: treason; insurrection, incitement to mutiny and disaffection and acts with seditious intention; sabotage; external interference endangering national security; and theft of state secrets and espionage.