Carrie Lam, Beijing-bound Today... Speed of Hong Kong National Security Law Processing

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Sunmi Park] Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, will visit Beijing on the 3rd along with senior officials responsible for judiciary, police, and public security. This visit aims to convey opinions regarding the Hong Kong National Security Law (Hong Kong Security Law), which the Chinese government is pushing for legalization, suggesting the possibility of its swift implementation.

On the 3rd, the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Lam and her delegation are scheduled to visit Beijing on that day. On a one-day business trip, Lam will stay in Beijing in the afternoon and then move to Shenzhen near Hong Kong in the evening, returning to Hong Kong on the morning of the 4th.

The purpose of this Beijing visit is the Hong Kong Security Law. It is a visit to convey opinions and suggestions from Hong Kong government officials and citizens regarding the draft of the Hong Kong Security Law, which was passed by the National People's Congress last month. The Chinese central government officially confirmed the purpose of Lam’s Beijing visit as "to hear Lam’s opinions on the Hong Kong Security Law." However, it has not been disclosed specifically whom Lam will meet or what discussions will take place.

The fact that the Chinese government arranged Lam’s Beijing visit less than a week after the draft of the Hong Kong Security Law was passed indicates a dominant interpretation that China intends to legislate and implement the Hong Kong Security Law as soon as possible.

SCMP, citing a mainland source familiar with Hong Kong affairs, said, "The central government will not allow the legislative process to be prolonged," and "Lam will meet with officials from the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress during this Beijing visit." Another source explained, "With the enactment of the Hong Kong Security Law, a new team will be formed in Hong Kong, and this place will have the power and tools to handle all national security threats."

China’s state-run Global Times also quoted experts in its report on Lam’s trip to Beijing, stating, "There is a hidden calculation by the central government to expedite the handling of the Hong Kong Security Law."

Since Chris Tang, the Commissioner of Police known for his tough stance on protesters, is accompanying Lam on this Beijing visit, there is also a possibility that the Chinese government’s guidelines regarding the increasingly tense Hong Kong protests will be conveyed. In Hong Kong, many citizens oppose the Hong Kong Security Law pushed by the Chinese government, and with the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square incident on the 4th and the 1st anniversary of the anti-extradition law protests on the 9th coinciding, a series of protests and illegal assemblies are expected from this week through the 1st of next month.

Meanwhile, there is a possibility that the Hong Kong Security Law will be approved by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China’s highest legislative body, as early as the end of this month. Typically, a law passed by the National People's Congress requires at least three reviews by the Standing Committee before it comes into effect. The Standing Committee meets once every two months, so three reviews usually take at least six months. However, for sensitive and politically burdensome laws like the Hong Kong Security Law, there is a high possibility of early enforcement through extraordinary sessions. There are also talks that the Hong Kong Security Law could be implemented as early as August.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.