Security law deters foreign troublemakers

External ‘black hands’ withdraw support for secessionists, rioters

The highly anticipated national security law for Hong Kong has begun to have a powerful deterrent effect on foreign forces involved in meddling in Hong Kong affairs, and they would become the prime targets of the law for endangering China’s national security. The law goes after acts of secession, subversion of state power, terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign or external forces to endanger national security.

According to the law, those who endanger national security by colluding with foreign or external forces, such as stealing, spying, buying up, or illegally providing state secrets or intelligence related to national security for foreign or overseas institutions, shall be sentenced to at least 3 years but not more than 10 years in jail. If the crimes are serious, they shall be sentenced to life imprisonment or a fixedterm imprisonment of at least 10 years. Foreign organizations, institutes and personnel who violate the term will receive the same punishment, said the law.

The central government’s national security office has the jurisdiction over complicated cases in which foreign forces’ interference makes it difficult for the Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR) to excise its jurisdiction.

When the central government’s national security office investigates the cases that threaten national security, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate will appoint procuratorial organs to exercise procuratorial authority, and the Supreme People’s Court will appoint relevant courts to exercise judicial authority, according to the law.

Observers said foreign forces behind months-long riots in Hong Kong since June 2019 have begun to waver, given that offenders could face severe sentences. The national security law would also cut off “the black hands” behind the chaos caused by foreign troublemakers.

Foreign forces, including countries and authorities as well as relevant NGOs, which collude with anti-government rioters in Hong Kong by supporting their illegal activities and providing “protective umbrellas” for the rioters, severely meddle in Hong Kong affairs, the observers said. Those forces are mainly based in Hong Kong, and also in the island of Taiwan and other places.

On Tuesday, Taiwan regional leader Tsai Ing-wen told reporters that she was “very disappointed” by Chinese central government’s imposition of the national security law in Hong Kong. She claimed this proves the “one country, two systems” principle which could be a basis for reunification “was not feasible,” Reuters reported.

The Taiwan separatist authority, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), made ridiculous criticisms of the law for Hong Kong, and this has revealed its toxic purpose – to make trouble in Hong Kong and realize its separatist goal, noted a spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, China’s cabinet.

“Any attempt to harm Hong Kong’s stability will fail, and the new national security law for Hong Kong will cut off ‘the black hands’ of the Taiwan DPP that make trouble in Hong Kong,” the spokesperson said.