Gov’t to enact new national security ordinance on 23 March

The measure focuses on three objectives.

The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance will take effect on 23 March, following the Hong Kong Legislative Council's (LegCo) passing of the measure on the third reading.

The ordinance will proactively prevent, suppress, and penalise espionage, conspiracies, and schemes by foreign intelligence, as well as infiltration and sabotage by adversarial entities.

The three objectives of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance include:

• To resolutely, fully and faithfully implement the policy of “one country, two systems” under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy;
• To establish and improve the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the Hong Kong SAR to safeguard national security; and
• To prevent, suppress, and punish acts and activities endangering national security in accordance with the law, to protect the lawful rights and interests of the residents of the Hong Kong SAR and other people in the Hong Kong SAR, to ensure the property and investment in the Hong Kong SAR are protected by the law, to maintain prosperity and stability of the Hong Kong SAR.

The legislation garnered significant public backing, with the government reporting that 98.6% of the 13,000 responses received during the public consultation from January 30 to February 28, were positive.