“UK Calls for Abolition of Hong Kong National Security Law: Political Tensions Rise in 2023”

2023-05-26 11:05:19

1. online report
2. Political situation

26.05.2023

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly submitted a new “Hong Kong Semi-Annual Report” to Congress, pointing out that Beijing still does not abide by the Sino-British Joint Declaration and calling on Beijing and Hong Kong to abolish the Hong Kong National Security Law. In response, the Hong Kong government strongly rebutted, urging Britain to stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs, which are “purely China’s internal affairs.”

(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) On May 25, the British Foreign Office submitted to Parliament the “Hong Kong Half-Year Report” on the implementation of the “Sino-British Joint Declaration” in Hong Kong from July 1 to December 31, 2022. Compliance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the continued erosion of Hong Kong’s civil and political rights and high degree of autonomy, calling on Beijing and Hong Kong to repeal the Hong Kong National Security Law. The report notes that the rule of law in Hong Kong has been eroded, including the transfer of “powers that once belonged to the judiciary” to Hong Kong’s pro-China leaders, and the Hong Kong government’s May 10 amendment to the Legal Practitioners Ordinance requires overseas Lawyers must apply in advance and be approved by the chief executive to be eligible to participate in national security-related cases, and those facing national security charges cannot challenge government decisions in court, among other things. The report also mentioned that the British side paid close attention to the revision of the Hong Kong government’s political and judicial systems, including the election reform of district councils, which significantly reduced the number of directly elected seats.

In the foreword to the report, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly wrote that he spoke at a United Nations hearing in February regarding how the Hong Kong authorities used the national security law to suppress opposition figures. Many of them were imprisoned or forced into exile. Qi Zhanming called on Beijing to implement the recommendations of the United Nations Human Rights Council in an independent report last July, including the cancellation of the national security law Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in 2020.

Qi Zhanming mentioned the Li Zhiying case to Han Zheng

Qi Zhanming wrote: “Together with our partners, we condemn the continuous erosion of (Hong Kong) civil and political rights.” The authorities “deliberately target prominent democrats, journalists and politicians in an attempt to silence and discredit them”.Qi Zhanming added: “The detainees with dual British nationalityJimmy LaiIt is such a character. Jimmy Lai, 75, founded the pro-democracy Apple Daily. The paper was raided and closed by police in 2021.

Qi Zhanming said he had raised Jimmy Lai’s case with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng this month. The report did not mention whether Qi Zhanming had contact with Han Zheng in person or through other means. early may,Han Zheng Attends the Coronation Ceremony of King Charles III on behalf of China。

Hong Kong Says Farewell to Apple Daily

Jimmy Lai

“Apple Daily” was founded in 1995 by wealthy businessman Jimmy Lai. Li Zhiying, who smuggled from Guangdong to Hong Kong when he was a teenager, publicly supported the 89 democracy movement, and was sanctioned by the mainland authorities for this. After he founded Next Media Co., Ltd. in 1990, he published newspapers and magazines such as Next Magazine, and later expanded to TV, Internet and other media. In 2003, he founded Taiwan’s “Apple Daily”. Li Zhiying once bit an apple in a TV commercial and said, “An apple a day, no one can fool me!”

Hong Kong Says Farewell to Apple Daily

Subversion of the Hong Kong Press

In order to attract readers, “Apple Daily” adopts color printing, trendy typesetting and colloquial headlines, and the content is also comprehensive. In just a few months following its publication, the newspaper completely overturned the rules of the game in Hong Kong’s newspaper industry. However, the newspaper did not hesitate to sensationalize for the sake of sales. Because of the paparazzi culture, showing off pornography and violence, etc., it was accused of being too sensational and entertaining, and from time to time got into moral accusations and judicial disputes. But its investigative reporting has also been recognized by readers. According to the 2019 media credibility survey conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, “Apple Daily” ranked third among paid newspapers in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Says Farewell to Apple Daily

Refused to be “dyed red”

The newspaper has a clear stance. It has several current affairs commentary columns criticizing the top leaders of the CCP and the Hong Kong government, and often reports on the situation of mainland rights defenders such as Liu Xiaobo. At the same time, it supports the Hong Kong democracy movement in a high-profile manner. After the handover of Hong Kong’s sovereignty in 1997, many local newspapers, such as the South China Morning Post and Ming Pao, were acquired by Chinese capital. Apple Daily is regarded as the only mainstream media in Hong Kong that has not been “red”.

Hong Kong Says Farewell to Apple Daily

The Curse of the National Security Law

From the Umbrella Movement in 2014 to the Rework Movement in 2019, “Apple Daily” can be said to have a clear stand. On August 10, 2020, the founder of the newspaper, Jimmy Lai, was arrested in connection with the “Hong Kong National Security Law”, and the headquarters of “Apple Daily” was searched by the police. The next day, the newspaper’s headline headlined “Apple will surely fall”, and the print run increased from more than 70,000 copies two weeks ago to 550,000 copies, and citizens lined up to buy it.

Hong Kong Says Farewell to Apple Daily

Taiwan ceased publication

On May 15, 2021, the 18-year-old “Taiwan Apple Daily” announced the suspension of publication. The announcement stated that “Taiwan Apple Daily did not lose in the news battlefield”, but “lost in Hong Kong where the situation deteriorated, causing us to be unable to support losses for a long time”, so “reluctantly let go of paper” and concentrate resources on the development of “Apple News Network”. “. On the same day, the property of Li Zhiying, the founder of its parent company Hong Kong Next Media, was frozen, and the Hong Kong Security Bureau relied on the “Hong Kong National Security Law”.

Hong Kong Says Farewell to Apple Daily

Arresting high-level officials and freezing assets

On June 17, 2021, the police raided Apple Daily for the second time on suspicion of violating the National Security Law and arrested five newspaper executives. The newspaper was accused of publishing an article calling on foreign countries to sanction Hong Kong and China, and was suspected of “conspiring with foreign forces to endanger national security.” The authorities also froze the assets of three affiliated companies of “Apple Daily” with a total of 18 million Hong Kong dollars, making it impossible for the newspaper to continue to operate.

Hong Kong Says Farewell to Apple Daily

People line up to buy the last newspaper

On June 23, Next Media announced that following the last print edition of “Apple Daily” was published on the 24th, it will stop publishing immediately, and the online version will also cease operation. The headline on the front page of the final edition was “Hong Kong people bid farewell in the rain, we support Apple”, and a record 1 million copies were printed. On the streets of Hong Kong, citizens once once more lined up to buy “Apple”.

The Hong Kong government strongly rebuts the UK’s “Hong Kong semi-annual report”

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government issued a press release on May 25, expressing strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the British semi-annual report on Hong Kong. The announcement reads: The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government today (May 25) strongly refuted the so-called “Hong Kong Semi-annual Report: July-December 2022” (report) published by the United Kingdom on “one country, two systems”. “Malicious slander and political attacks on Hong Kong under the successful practice, and expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition. The Hong Kong SAR is an inseparable part of the People’s Republic of China. The SAR government once once more strongly urges the UK to abide by international law and the basic norms of international relations, and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs, which are purely China’s internal affairs. “

According to the announcement, the spokesperson of the SAR government emphasized that the improved electoral system provides legal protection for the full implementation of the principle of “patriots governing Hong Kong” and that it is a universal political principle to ensure that power is in the hands of patriots. The people will allow power to fall into the hands of people who are not patriotic or even betray their own country; national security is a central responsibility, and every country has the responsibility and right to maintain its national security, and the UK also has a large number of national security laws. The SAR government firmly opposes the UK’s repeated malicious slander of the Hong Kong National Security Law through the so-called report, wantonly interfering in Hong Kong’s governance in accordance with the law, and undermining the rule of law in Hong Kong. The fact that the business environment has recovered has fallen on deaf ears.

The announcement also mentioned that the spokesperson of the SAR government reiterated that “Hong Kong residents enjoy the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Basic Law, the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance and other relevant laws.” However, the relevant rights and freedoms are not absolute, and the exercise of relevant rights When used, it will be subject to the law and the requirements necessary to achieve a reasonable purpose, such as the protection of national security or public order.”

Relations between London and Beijing have been tense since Beijing implemented the national security law for Hong Kong. On May 9 this year, Dominic Johnson, the Secretary of State of the British Ministry of Commerce and Trade, visited Hong Kong. This is the first time that a British Secretary of State has visited Hong Kong since the National Security Law for Hong Kong came into effect in 2018 and 2020.

(comprehensive report)

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