China to Hold Another NPC Standing Committee Meeting Late This Month... Likely to Review Hong Kong Security Law

The view in front of the opening ceremony hall of the National People's Congress in China at the end of last month (Beijing AP=Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) of China will hold another meeting just one week after reviewing the draft of the Hong Kong National Security Law (Hong Kong Security Law).

According to the state-run Xinhua News Agency on the 21st, the NPC Standing Committee will hold its 20th meeting from the 28th to the 30th. The NPC Standing Committee conducted the first review of the draft at the 19th meeting, which ended the day before. The draft stipulates four criminal acts and criminal responsibilities that harm national security: secession, subversion of state power, terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign forces.

The fact that the NPC Standing Committee, which usually meets about once every two months, is convening again after just one week indicates the urgency of legislating the Hong Kong Security Law. Typically, a bill undergoes three reviews, but depending on the matter, the number of reviews can be reduced to one or two.

Xinhua News Agency reported that the meeting on the 28th will review drafts of the Patent Law, the Juvenile Protection Law amendment, and the Export Control Law. There was no mention of the Hong Kong Security Law.

However, Tanyao Zhong, the only Hong Kong member of the NPC Standing Committee, told the Hong Kong South China Morning Post that there is a possibility the Hong Kong Security Law will be reviewed at the meeting at the end of this month.

Meanwhile, the Global Times explained the details of the Hong Kong Security Law draft released the day before, stating that "the Chinese government will handle special national security matters, and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will handle 'ordinary' matters." The draft stipulates that the Hong Kong SAR government will exercise jurisdiction over investigation, prosecution, trial, and punishment of crimes endangering national security, "except in special circumstances."

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