Consultation on Article 23 legislation to be announced on Tue

Details of the public consultation work for the legislation of Basic Law Article 23 will be announced on Tuesday, the government said.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok, and Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung will hold a press conference on "Safeguarding National Security: Basic Law Article 23 Legislation Public Consultation" tomorrow (Jan 30).

The Executive Council will not convene its Tuesday meeting, the statement wrote.

It was learned that the government aimed to press ahead and draw up effective legislative options while completing the legislative exercise before the summer break of the Legislative Council.

Sources said earlier that the government would introduce a “Blue Bill” - with the drafted legislative framework, principles, regulatory scope, etc. - regarding the Article 23 legislation into the Legislative Council.

Compared to a “White Bill” - where the government does not have a predetermined stance on the legislation and the full draft is made available to the public to canvass their views - the "Blue Bill" will allow limited room for amendments.

The Hong Kong leader has been stressing that upon completing the legislation of Article 23 and bringing the Hong Kong National Security Law together, there will be a compelling national security legal system and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security in the city.

Lee also noted last week that the government will establish a dedicated team aimed at "refuting slanders and smears from opposing forces" surrounding the implementation of Article 23.

Tang said last month that the enactment of Article 23 will be the Security Bureau's focus in 2024.

(Updated at 8.04 pm)