4 | Thursday, September 17, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY HONG KONG The city wants international critics to be fair Chief secretary for administration says most countries have their own national security laws

By ELEANOR HUANG in Hong Kong [email protected]

Hong Kong’s No 2 official and Every country in the other political heavyweights have world has their own called on the international com- munity to give a fair assessment national security of the city’s National Security Law, legislation, and their more than two and a half months after its smooth implementation. goals are no different, The Law of the People’s Republic which is to curb activ- Hong Kong Secretary for Food and Health Siu-chee (second from right) and Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai (third from right), on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, see off the members of the of China on Safeguarding National ities which endanger mainland nucleic acid test support team at the team’s hotel, and repeat their gratitude for the central government’s support.PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Security in the Hong Kong Spe- cial Administrative Region was national security. So adopted by China’s top legislature they are in no place and promulgated in the HKSAR to criticize the central on June 30. Addressing the 45th session of and SAR govern- Public urged to remain vigilant the United Nations Human Rights ment.’’ Council in Geneva on Wednes- day by video, Chief Secretary for Lau Siu-kai, vice-president of Administration the Chinese Association of Hong as outbreak wanes in Hong Kong Kin-chung said the new law has Kong and Macao Studies been eˆ ective in restoring stability. By CHEN ZIMO in Hong Kong ing system, he said. dents’ eagerness to take a break from system and “tourism bubbles” Since the law came into effect, [email protected] Testing should be more accessible the restrictions, Leung reminded the could be introduced, to resume the advocacies of “Hong Kong indepen- in Hong Kong’s National Security in terms of location and cost, allow- public to be “moderate” in resuming exchange between Hong Kong and dence” and collusions with external Law. Hong Kong’s public was warned ing patients to learn their status as outdoor social activities. “It makes other places around the world, Lo forces have visibly subsided, as have Elizabeth Quat, a lawmaker with on Wednesday not to let down its quickly as possible, just like in the a huge diˆ erence to the risk of con- said. acts of violence and blatant defi ance the Democratic Alliance for the guard with social distancing measur- voluntary mass testing program, tracting and spreading the virus in Also on Wednesday, after com- of law and order, Cheung said. Betterment and Progress of Hong ing easing as the city bade farewell to Leung said. public if people going to public plac- pleting their mission of speeding “The national security law is Kong,, said residents have seen Chinese mainland medical experts A total of 1.78 million residents, es (do so) every day, instead of going the city’s nucleic acid testing under designed to bolster the successful changes for the better since the after the end of the COVID-19 mass about a quarter of Hong Kong’s out occasionally,” he said. the program, the 579-strong medical ‘one country, two systems’ prin- new law came into eˆ ect. Black- testing program. population, took part in the 14-day Leung stressed the importance of support team returned to the main- ciple, which will continue to drive clad rioters are not as rampant as The warning against a possible free Universal Community Testing personal hygiene and wearing face land, where they will be quarantined Hong Kong’s progress. It seeks to last year, and Hong Kong is more rebound brought about by the return Programme, providing samples at masks, as most infection clusters for 14 days. preserve Hong Kong’s core values, peaceful, with no traffic disrup- of large crowds and social gatherings 141 testing centers across the city. detected in mass testing were related In addition to the universal testing including rights and freedoms, the tions, roadblocks, fl ying bricks or came from a respiratory medicine At least 42 cases of infection were to a family and restaurants where program, the central government rule of law and judicial indepen- fi res on the road, she said. expert and a lawmaker, who said the detected in the program, including masks were usually removed. will also help Hong Kong estab- dence,” Cheung said. The reality speaks for itself, mass testing showed that virus car- 13 asymptomatic patients. Lo Wai-kwok, a lawmaker and lish temporary treatment facilities, Cheung said that it is unthink- Quat added. “Now we can all see riers can slip under public hospitals’ Leung is concerned that the pub- chairman of the Business and Profes- including retrofitting AsiaWorld- able that a law designed to safe- the National Security Law does radar and spread the virus in places lic will think the outbreak is under sionals Alliance for Hong Kong, said Expo into a “mobile cabin hospital” guard national security in the not suppress freedom of speech lacking social distancing. control given the low positive rate of it was good news for the city that the and building community treatment HKSAR should be a cause for con- in Hong Kong. No one is jailed for Leung Chi-chiu, chairman of the detections in the mass testing pro- universal testing program revealed a facilities, Hong Kong Chief Executive cern for some countries, saying simply making a speech, and resi- advisory committee on communica- gram, followed by two consecutive relatively low positive rate. Cheng Yuet-ngor said in that almost all countries have their dents still have the right to criticize ble diseases of the Hong Kong Med- days without any new locally trans- If Hong Kong is able to provide late July. own national security laws. “The the policies whenever they like,” ical Association, pointed out that mitted cases of unknown sources in adequate routine testing on its own These measures were necessary international community should she said. some new patients who developed the city. and get further control over the for Hong Kong to strengthen its be fair and not adopt a double stan- Lau Siu-kai, vice-president of the COVID-19 symptoms had gone to Hong Kong recorded nine cases of pandemic, Lo said, it would be good healthcare capability, Leung said. If dard,” he said. Chinese Association of Hong Kong see doctors before being confi rmed COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, timing for a step toward enhancing there were another outbreak and an Ka-wah, senior and Macao Studies, also urged the as infected in the mass testing pro- either imported from overseas or recognition of the need for a health infection rate as high as in early July, counsel and executive councilor in international community to take gram. But they did not take the test related to earlier cases. The overall certifi cate between Hong Kong and the public hospital system would Hong Kong, agreed. He said that an unprejudiced view of the SAR’s at hospitals or clinics, refl ecting a tally stood at 4,984. other parts of the world. come under enormous pressure the way some foreign politicians National Security Law. loophole in the current routine test- Saying he understood local resi- From there, a digital health code within a short time. perceive the city’s National Secu- “Every country in the world has rity Law is absolutely unjust and their own national security legisla- unfair. tion, and their goals are no dif- “I noticed some had accused the ferent, which is to curb activities legislation as (being) ambiguous, which endanger national security,” HK calls on US to withdraw its requirements but compared to the national secu- Lau said. “So they are in no place rity legislation in the United States, to criticize the central and SAR By LUO WEITENG in Hong Kong ment’s strong objection to the new US to express strong opposition to munity is looking to solve the mat- the wordings used in the articles government.” [email protected] US requirement, something he has US Trade Representative Robert ter in ways that conform to WTO of SAR’s National Security Law is Lau said Hong Kong has always previously described as “barbar- E. Lighthizer and reassert Hong principles. already very precise and in line had the responsibility of safe- The Hong Kong Special Admin- ic”, at a meeting with acting US Kong’s intention to safeguard its Criticizing the US move as “the with common law jurisdictions’ guarding national security under istrative Region government has consul general to Hong Kong and interests. big bullying the small”, Yau said requirements,” Tong said. the Basic Law. With the law imple- called on the United States to Macau Paul Horowitz. The US has Yau said that he hoped the US the Basic Law has granted Hong Tong cited the Treason Clause mented in the city now, it has not immediately withdraw its new demanded that all goods made in government would show more Kong a high degree of autonomy contained in the US Constitution, only further strengthened the “one origin marking requirement on the city be labeled as “Made in Chi- respect to World Trade Organi- and the right to represent itself which uses vague language such as country, two systems” principle Hong Kong products, Secretary na”. The original deadline of Sept zation regulations and initiate on the international stage. He “adhering to their enemies, giving and restored the city’s law and for Commerce and Economic 25 has been extended till Nov 9. bilateral talks under existing WTO described Hong Kong as a well- them aid and comfort”. order, the economy can be revital- Development Tang- Yau said the SAR government mechanisms in the spirit of nego- recognized and dutiful WTO He said at least obscure terms ized only when investors feel more wah said on Wednesday. has also instructed Hong Kong’s tiations. member, and said it will defend

such as “comfort”Your are not written confi dentKey to invest here, heto said. ChinaYau expressed the SAR govern- newseconomic and trade o§ andces in the Yau said business the local business com- its interests. China’s Global News Media