Ministry of Public Security to guide HKPF to end violence
China to speed up national security law on HKSAR
Step by step, China’s top legislature is accelerating the formulation of the highly anticipated national security law for Hong Kong, with more details emerging for the first time on how state-level authorities could coordinate with local authorities in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) in preventing, ending and punishing acts endangering national security, after the Ministry of Public Security vowed to give relevant instructions to Hong Kong police. By going forward with relevant laws, the country delivered a clear message to countries that have been trying to pressure Beijing over the law: any attempt to stop China from defending its sovereignty is doomed to fail, observers said.
Since the announcement of the national security law for Hong Kong, foreign forces have been increasingly interfering in recent days, especially from the US. Zhao Kezhi, China’s Minister of Public Security, vowed in a statement on Friday to fully guide and support the Hong Kong Police Force in ending riots and violence while severely cracking down on the penetration of subversive and disruptive measures by hostile forces and resolutely safeguarding national political security. Such a clear response amid growing external pressure attracted public attention, signaling the central government’s iron-clad will to soon enact the law, observers said.
It was also the first central public security authority to unveil details after the passage of a draft decision to formulate the national security law for Hong Kong on Thursday at the closing meeting of the third session of 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) concerning the coordination between state-level and regional-level authorities under the new law.
Instruction and cooperation
While the new law is expected to take effect in Hong Kong through Annex III of the Basic Law, some observers expect the law to be formulated by referencing standards in the criminal law of the mainland and that of other countries.
“We need more cooperation with mainland authorities in intelligence work and law enforcement. In terms of guiding the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), central security departments should set up agencies in Hong Kong, mainly in charge of information collection,” said Wilkie Ng Wai-kei, chairman of the Hong Kong Police Inspectors’ Association.
Li Xiaobing, an expert on Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, from Nankai University in Tianjin, said Zhao’s words signaled the central authorities’ determination to implement the national security law on Hong Kong.
For a long time, Hong Kong police were struggling to cope with the complicated situations. Since last year, mainland police and Hong Kong police were strengthening cooperation. As Hong Kong faces the deep interference of external forces and potential threats of terrorism, mainland police and Hong Kong police need to conduct cooperation in safeguarding national security.
“Zhao used the word ‘guide’ instead of ‘lead’ because the Ministry of Public Security cannot directly lead the work of HKPF. The instruction could include information sharing and cooperation, and communication of the working mechanism,” Li said.
Though Chinese officials urged some foreign countries and officials not to undermine China’s determination to push forward the law, some countries from the Five Eyes alliance, in addition to American hawks like US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have not dropped their delusion of pressuring the Chinese government on the upcoming law, turning Hong Kong into a battleground for growing geopolitical tensions.
In response to Pompeo’s threat to revoke Hong Kong’s special status, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said any attempt to sabotage and obstruct NPC’s enactment of the national security law on Hong Kong is to kick against the pricks and doomed to fail.
Officials from central authorities and the local government in the SAR have been preparing for the worstcase scenarios, which would not shake their determination in rejecting foreign meddling.
“No matter how many measures and steps the US government takes, they would not alter the Chinese government’s stance and decision,” said Lau Siu-kai, vice-president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies.
Some experts also noted the US threat to punish China over the national security law cannot cause real trouble for China.