For foreign firms in Hong Kong, national security plans bring fresh chill
Al Jazeera
Plans to implement Article 23 have raised fears of a further slide in freedoms in the financial hub.
Taipei, Taiwan – As Hong Kong moves forward with controversial new national security legislation, its foreign business community is expressing reservations – albeit quietly – about how new rules concerning “state secrets” could affect the international financial hub’s competitiveness and ease of doing business.
Until February 28, the Hong Kong government is canvassing views on its plans to implement “Article 23” of the Chinese territory’s mini constitution, which stipulates the need to ban crimes including treason, secession, sedition, subversion and theft of state secrets.
After meeting foreign diplomats and business representatives last week, Justice Secretary Paul Lam reported that “everyone is on the same page” on the need to pass the legislation.
Lam said that while some members of the public had “concerns” and “questions,” it would be going too far to say they expressed “worries”.
It was not long before Lam’s upbeat characterisation of sentiment began to look misplaced.
