CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Tuesday, June 30, 2020 | 3 TOP NEWS China warns Warm welcome of retaliatory US visa curbs Move comes after Washington threatens sanctions over Hong Kong security law
By WANG QINGYUN ference in Hong Kong affairs, Zhao [email protected] added. He also dismissed the “Hong Kong China will impose visa restrictions Autonomy Act” and a resolution on US citizens who have “behaved passed by the US Senate that threat egregiously” over Hong Kongrelated ened sanctions on Chinese individu issues, in response to visa restric als, entities and financial institutions tions from the United States, Foreign and criticized the national security Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian legislation for Hong Kong. said on Monday. China is firmly opposed to and has Zhao made the announcement at a lodged solemn representations with daily news conference. He said the the US over the passage of the bill Hong Kong Special Administrative and the resolution, Zhao said. Employees at Turpan Jiaohe Airport in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region welcome the crew of China’s first civil airliner with inde Region national security legislation By passing the bill and the resolu pendent intellectual property rights, the C919, after it landed as part of a hightemperature test on Sunday. Turpan is one of the hottest is purely China’s domestic affair, and tion, the US Senate has denigrated places in China in the summer and offers the best environment for hightemperature aircraft tests. LIU JIAN / FOR CHINA DAILY no foreign country has the right to the Hong Kong national security leg interfere in it. islation, interfered seriously in Hong The announcement came one day Kong affairs and China’s domestic after the Standing Committee of the affairs and violated international law 13th National People’s Congress and the basic norms guiding interna opened its 20th session, at which a tional relations, he said. HK legislation will protect human rights, say experts report was made on the draft nation The bill and the resolution are al security law for Hong Kong. only “a piece of wastepaper”, Zhao By GANG WEN in Hong Kong made it clear that Hong Kong peo incidents related to the violation of The US, which has threatened said, urging the US not to go ahead [email protected] ple’s human rights and freedoms human rights since Hong Kong sanctions on China over the legisla with them, or even use them as an will not be restricted or affected by returned to China. The SAR now tion, announced on Friday visa excuse for imposing socalled sanc The national security law for the The Standing the law. has 13 national laws in Annex III, restrictions on Chinese officials over tions on China. Hong Kong Special Administrative Committee of the He expected the law to end the with the latest, the National the HKSAR affairs. “Otherwise China will take resolute Region will fully protect the lingering social unrest in the city Anthem Ordinance, becoming “The US will never succeed in its and powerful response and counter human rights and freedoms people National People’s and reinforce its status as a global effective three weeks ago. attempt to obstruct, through measures, and the US will take all the currently enjoy in the SAR, legal Congress has been financial hub, which will reassure socalled sanctions, China’s efforts to consequences,” Zhao added. experts said after more details of overseas investors. Freedoms safeguarded push forward the national security The Hong Kong national security the draft law were made public. very restrained and Kacee Ting Wong, a barrister The draft national security law law for Hong Kong,” Zhao said. legislation aims to protect China’s In the past few weeks, Hong prudent and has fully and member of the Chinese Associ also upholds the characteristics of The central government is firmly sovereignty, security and develop Kong residents, especially those respected the ‘one ation of Hong Kong and Macao Hong Kong’s common law system, determined to safeguard China’s ment interests, guarantee longterm from nongovernmental organiza Studies, said the Standing Commit in which human rights are guaran sovereignty, security and develop stability and prosperity in the SAR tions, have been discussing the country, two systems’ tee of the National People’s Con teed during legal proceedings, such ment interests, carrying out the and ensure the steady implementa protection of their rights and principle during the gress has been very “restrained and as the presumption of innocence “one country, two systems” princi tion of the “one country, two sys freedoms under the upcoming law. prudent” and has fully respected and protection against double jeop ple and opposing any foreign inter tems” principle, he said. The National People’s Congress, legislative process.” the “one country, two systems” ardy, Ting added. China’s top legislature, has pledged principle during the legislative Some in the city are worried that Kacee Ting Wong, Editor's Note: China Daily will publish a series of stories, interviewing to continue its efforts to consult barrister and member of the process. freedom of speech will be under experts from Hong Kong and the mainland, to further explain the draft law with Hong Kong society during the Chinese Association of Hong “The draft makes a special men mined by the security law. However, on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong. remaining legislative work. Kong and Macao Studies tion that Hong Kong’s core values Chim Honming, principal of Hong Having acknowledged that the — human rights and freedoms that Kong Chiu Sheung School, said he is draft law “absorbed opinions as are enshrined in two international not concerned that freedoms and much as possible”, Hong Kong rights under the Basic Law and two human rights treaties — will also human rights will be lost after the law Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng international covenants will be upheld in the security law,” Ting is passed. He believes the law will ben Competition revs up in Yuetngor said last week that con remain intact. said. efit Hong Kong society, and the vast cerns over rights and freedoms Peter Wong Kithin, chairman of The barrister said none of the majority of Hong Kong people won’t autonomous driving sector have been well addressed in the the Hong Kong Legal Professionals laws added to Annex III of the do anything that endangers national draft law, which lists how human Association, said the draft has Basic Law have ever triggered any security.
By MA SI Zhang Bo, chief technology officer [email protected] of Didi and CEO of its autonomous driving business unit, said, “Autono Experts back life sentences for national security offenses Amid light rain in Shanghai, a car mous driving needs to move beyond automatically stopped at a designat being a novel but limited experience ed point for pickup and waited for a to become a reliable and efficient dai By GANG WEN in Hong Kong ble by up to life imprisonment. pation. In general, a jury trial will Kong Legal Exchange Foundation. passenger to get in. After the passen ly mobility option for the general [email protected] Speaking on a local radio pro be conducted in a criminal case at But he is not in favor of setting ger fastened his or her seat belt, the public in a highly complex realworld gram on Monday, the barrister said the High Court, which can impose up the minimum penalty, which in selfdriving car began its journey. environment.” The move came short A life sentence for someone con those convicted of secession and a prison term of seven years or the common law system should be It automatically avoided pedestri ly after Didi signed a strategic part victed of a national security crime subversion could face a maximum longer. at the courts’ discretion consider ans, speeded up, slowed down, over nership deal with major Chinese is warranted, Hong Kong’s law sentence of life in prison, which is The national security law, cur ing the nature of cases, the defen took other cars and navigated traffic carmaker BAIC Group to codevelop experts said on Monday, citing the in line with international practice. rently under deliberation at the dant’s involvement, the degree of lights till it reached its destination. customized driverless cars featuring seriousness of such offenses. The senior counsel said it could National People’s Congress Stand harm, and mitigating factors. This scene is becoming increasing Level 4 autonomy. Level 4 autonomy They made the comments after be a blessing to have a minimum ing Committee, will outlaw acts of On the conflicts between jury ly common in Shanghai after Didi means the car can drive itself in news reports on Sunday quoted a penalty as well for some offenses, secession, subversion, terrorism trial and national secrets, Fu said it Chuxing announced on Saturday the many conditions without a human Hong Kong deputy to the country’s which he believes could be set at 10 and collusion with foreign and is appropriate to exclude a jury opening of its ondemand robotaxi driver. top legislature as saying a possible years for serious cases, because external forces. from the trial to protect national service to passengers in parts of the Since the start of this year, compe punishment for violating the many people think there have been Willy Fu Kinchi, a law professor interests if the trial is a highly sen city, as the Chinese ridehailing com tition has intensified in China’s national security law in Hong inconsistent sentences in similar at Beijing Jiaotong University, told sitive national security case. pany steps up the commercialization autonomous driving industry. A Kong is life imprisonment. cases. China Daily that a life sentence is According to a survey released of selfdriving technologies. string of players are showcasing their Executive Councilor Ronny The barrister also said a trial not a new thing under nationalse on Monday, nearly 70 percent of Didi said that, after signing up on technological prowess and ambi Tong Kawah said offenses related may not have a jury if a case curityrelated laws worldwide, Hong Kong residents said the city its mobile app, passengers can tions by offering robotaxi services. to national security are serious involves State secrets. In addition, even in many jurisdictions that has a duty to safeguard national request rides for free in autonomous Baidu, which is known for its Apol crimes that are far more serious some people believe jury members’ apply the common law system. security. Among 1,297 residents vehicles within a designated area in lo selfdriving platform, opened in than rioting and participating in political views would be a factor in The maximum penalty, if it is life polled from Thursday to Saturday, Shanghai covering an automobile April its selfdriving taxi service in unlawful assemblies. According to trials, he said. imprisonment, will be a deterrent nearly 60 percent agree on the four exhibition center, business districts, Changsha, Hunan province. The ser the Crimes Ordinance in Hong Tong said he hopes the final to those who may have colluded offenses covered by the security subway stations and hotels in the vice provides free rides to passengers Kong, treason and incitement to draft could make it clear which with foreign forces, said Fu, who is law, and that they will not be downtown area. across an area of 130 square kilome mutiny are both offenses punisha cases are exempt from jury partici also the vicechairman of the Hong affected by it. To ensure safety, Didi said a back ters, with its routes including resi up driver will be present in each of dential areas, commercial zones and the selfdriving cars in case of emer industrial parks. gency. The company has also set up a China’s smart transportation 600,000 overseas Chinese sign petition supporting law safety control center for autonomous industry is forecast to reach a total driving, which can monitor vehicles value of 170 billion yuan ($24 billion) and road conditions in real time, and in 2020, according to research from By GANG WEN in Hong Kong “the Pearl of the Orient” lose its The members believe the nation the AllChina Federation of Over give timely assistance and instruc Shenzhenbased market research [email protected] advantage as a springboard that al security law could effectively seas Chinese Federations, said that tions to vehicles in need. company Askci Consulting Co. connects China with the rest of the deter violence and restart the city’s China’s development and interests Nearly 600,000 overseas Chinese world, Wong added. development. have always pulled at the heart signed an online petition to support They regard the national security Chan, who is an Indonesianborn strings of overseas nationals, given the proposed national security leg law as a lifeline for Hong Kong, and Chinese, said the proposed law has their deep affection for the mother islation for the Hong Kong Special they hope it can create a stable received positive responses from land. It’s understandable that the Administrative Region. social environment and maintain Chinese communities in Indonesia, proposed law for Hong Kong, As of 11 pm on Monday, 593,797 the city’s status, Wong said. another economy suffering from which is expected to plug the loop overseas Chinese from about 160 Chan Chunkeung, president of massive unrest last year. hole in the country’s national secu associations had signed the petition the Hong Kong Overseas Chinese A protest erupted in Jakarta on rity protection mechanism, has endorsing the law, which is being Association, another group on the May 21, nearly one month after won so much support among them, deliberated by the Standing Com petition, said the majority of his Indonesia’s presidential election. he said. mittee of the National People’s Con members were born abroad and Radical protesters attacked police On May 28, just days after a draft gress, the country’s top legislature. came to Hong Kong to seek oppor officers and burned vehicles. The decision on establishing and Wong Chokei, president of the tunities. incident led to several deaths and improving the legal system and Hong Kong Federation of Overseas During their decades here, they injured hundreds of people. enforcement mechanisms for the Chinese General Associations, one witnessed Hong Kong’s rapid devel Indonesianbased Chinese felt SAR to safeguard national security of the groups joining the campaign, opment after its return to the moth solidarity with Hong Kong people, was submitted to NPC, more than said last year’s social unrest in Hong erland. They were upset to see the and realized that stability is the 630 overseas Chinese groups voiced A technician accompanies a backup driver to record data during a Kong worried a lot of association protest violence halt that develop most valuable treasure of a society, support for the move in a joint test run of an autonomous vehicle in Shanghai on Saturday. members living abroad. ment, and even imperil the city’s Chan said. statement published in local news WANG XIANG / XINHUA They would never want to see future, Chan said. Lu Wenduan, vicechairman of papers.