Hong Kong’s leader hails opening of new national security office
Hong Kong’s leader has praised as a “historic moment” the inauguration of China’s new security office in the semi-autonomous city, which will be operating there for the first time in more than two decades.
The city’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam attended the inauguration ceremony of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government at the former Metropark Hotel on Wednesday.
The newly-appointed chief of the office, Zheng Yanxiong, and the head of China’s Liaison Office in the city, Luo Huining, were also in attendance.
The hotel was modified into the temporary headquarters of the new security office. It is located in the Causeway Bay, an area that overlooks the city’s Victoria Park.
Lam said at the ceremony that the operation of the security office would help safeguard national security in the city.
“Today’s unveiling ceremony is a historic moment because we are witnessing another milestone in the establishment of a sound legal system and enforcement mechanism for maintaining national security in Hong Kong,” Lam said.
The ceremony was held amid tight security measures that prevented residents and foreign media from observing it. Water-filled barriers and other crowd control measures had been put in place overnight.
The security office will be tasked with overseeing the regional government’s enforcement of the new national security legislation that was enacted in the city last week.
Under the law, the office will be allowed to take action beyond the existing laws of the city in the most serious cases. It also allows security officials to take suspects across the border for trials in mainland courts.
The new security legislation criminalizes sedition, secession, and subversion against mainland China.
Its introduction was criticized by Western governments and prompted small protests in Hong Kong.
The city was rocked by riots over a bill that would have reformed its extradition law last year. Violent individuals vandalized the city, destroying public and private property and attacking anyone deemed to be pro-government. Hong Kong dropped that bill, but the acts of violence continued.
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