On June 30, the Hong Kong SAR Government announced that the “Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Maintenance of National Security” will be gazetted on the same day. This means that the promulgation of the full text of Hong Kong’s National Security Law will bring many changes and impacts to Hong Kong.
According to its own terms, the law acts by, “preventing, suppressing and imposing punishment for the offences of secession, subversion, organization and perpetration of terrorist activities, and collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security”
The law designates, “The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be accountable to the Central People’s Government for affairs relating to safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and shall submit an annual report on the performance of duties of the Region in safeguarding national security.”
The calls for the creation by HKSAR of a Committee for Safeguarding National Security, the Committee shall be responsible for affairs relating to and assume primary responsibility for safeguarding national security in the Region. It shall be under the supervision of and accountable to the Central People’s Government.”
The law indicates, the central PRC government, “shall establish in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region an office for safeguarding national security. The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Office of Central PRC Government) shall perform its mandate for safeguarding national security and exercise relevant powers in accordance with the law.
The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Office of Central PRC Government) have the following powers: (1)Analysing and assessing developments in relation to safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and providing opinions and making proposals on major strategies and important policies for safeguarding national security;(2) Overseeing, guiding, coordinating with, and providing support to the Region in the performance of its duties for safeguarding national security;(3) Collecting and analyzing intelligence and information concerning national security; (4) Handling cases concerning offence endangering national security in accordance with the law.