The following is issued on behalf of the Executive Council Secretariat:

     The Non-official Members of the Executive Council (ExCo Non-official Members) today (March 7) issued the following statement:

     ExCo Non-official Members expressed their full support to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government's announcement today on the gazettal tomorrow (March 8) and the introduction of the Safeguarding National Security Bill (the Bill) into the Legislative Council.

     The Bill fully implements the constitutional duty and requirements for safeguarding national security set out in Article 23 of the Basic Law, the Decision of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Establishing and Improving the Legal System and Enforcement Mechanisms for the HKSAR to Safeguard National Security adopted by the NPC on May 28, 2020, and the Hong Kong National Security Law. ExCo Non-official Members fully agree that there is a genuine and urgent need for the legislation.

     During the public consultation period for the legislation on Article 23 of the Basic Law, the HKSAR Government comprehensively explained the legislative proposals to members of the public and various sectors of society. Among the over 13 000 submissions received, the majority (98.6 per cent) showed support and made positive comments, indicating the wide support for the legislative proposals from the public.

     ExCo Non-official Members fully support the Bill and the early completion of the legislative work to improve the HKSAR's legal system and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security. ExCo Non-official Members also expressed their gratitude to the Security Bureau and the Department of Justice, both of which have carefully analysed and studied the opinions collected within a short period of time and worked at full steam to complete the drafting of a comprehensive and meticulous bill, ensuring the effective safeguard of national security.

Ends/Thursday, March 7, 2024
Issued at HKT 20:09

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