The Hong Kong National Security Bill was passed, China watered down the “One country, two systems”

Recently Nihon Keizai Shimbun Electronic Edition reported the following:

香港国家安全法案を可決　中国「一国二制度」骨抜き

中国・台湾

2020/6/30 10:56 (2020/6/30 13:34更新)

【北京=羽田野主、香港=木原雄士】中国の国会に相当する全国人民代表大会（全人代）常務委員会は30日、中国政府が香港で統制を強める「香港国家安全維持法案」を可決した。香港選出の譚耀宗・全人代常務委員が記者会見で明らかにした。中国政府が香港に治安維持機関を新設し、過激な抗議活動などを封じ込めるねらいがある。

習近平（シー・ジンピン）指導部は2019年夏から広がった抗議活動に対抗するため、同法の制定を検討してきた。新法の制定は中央政府の関与を大幅に強めることになりかねず、香港に高度な自治を認める「一国二制度」が揺らぎかねないとの懸念がでている。

香港政府は毎年民主化を求めてデモが起きる香港返還記念日の7月1日にも施行する方針だ。香港の若者らが再び過激な抗議活動などをした場合を念頭に、国家分裂、政権転覆、テロ活動、外国勢力と結託して国家安全に危害を加える行為の4類型を定め、犯罪として刑事責任を問う。

中国政府が香港に治安維持機関となる「国家安全維持公署」を新設、国家安全に関わる情報の収集・分析や国家安全を脅かす犯罪事件の処理などを扱う。国家安全維持公署は「特定の状況のもとで、国家の安全に危害を加えるごく少数の犯罪に管轄権を行使する」としている。香港での抗議活動などを中国政府の治安維持機関が直接取り締まる事態を想定する。

香港政府は行政長官をトップとする「国家安全維持委員会」を新設する。中国政府が監督し、顧問を派遣して関与する。

香港は外国籍の裁判官が多く「司法の独立」を担保してきた。国家安全法に絡む事件を審理する裁判官は香港政府トップの行政長官が指名する。外国籍の裁判官が排除され、判決が常に中国寄りになる懸念がある。香港のほかの法律と矛盾する場合は香港国家安全維持法の規定を適用し、法律の解釈権は全人代常務委が持つことにした。

香港の憲法に相当する「香港基本法」の付属文書に例外として追加し、香港立法会（議会）の審議を経ないで施行する見通しだ。

全人代常務委はおおむね2カ月に1回開く。中国の「立法法」は原則3回の審議を定めるが、法案は18～20日に最初の審議をしたばかり。10日あまりでの可決は異例。

7月18日には9月の香港立法会選挙に向けて立候補の届け出が始まる。習指導部が成立を急ぐのは、香港の抗議活動や民主派の選挙運動を抑え込む狙いがありそうだ。

Translation

[Beijing = Haneda Nonushi, Hong Kong = Yuji Kihara] The standing committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), which was equivalent to the National Assembly of China, passed the "Hong Kong National Security Maintenance Bill" on the 30th, which strengthened control by the Chinese government over Hong Kong. Tan Yaozong, member of the standing committee of the NPC elected from Hong Kong, announced this at a press conference. The Chinese government had set up a new security agency in Hong Kong to contain radical protests.

Xi Jinping leadership, in order to counter the protests that spread from the summer of 2019, had been considering the enactment of the law. The enactment of the new law could greatly strengthen the involvement of the central government, and there was concern that the “One country, two system” that allowed high degree of autonomy in Hong Kong would be shaken.

The Hong Kong government planned to implement it on July 1st, the anniversary of the return of Hong Kong, where a demonstration was held every year for democracy. Criminal responsibility for crimes was stipulated in the four categories of state splitting, subversion of government, terrorist activities, and acts of colluding with foreign powers to harm national security, keeping in mind that young people in Hong Kong might again engage in radical protests.

The Chinese government had established a new “National Security Service Office” in Hong Kong as a security maintenance agency to handle the collection and analysis of information related to national security, and the handling of criminal cases that threaten national security. The National Security Service supposed that, "Under certain circumstances, we will exercise jurisdiction over the very few crimes that would endanger national security." It was assumed that the Chinese government's security agencies could directly crack down on protests in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong government would establish a new “National Security Maintenance Committee” headed by the Chief Executive. It would be supervised by the Chinese government and advisors were dispatched to get involved.

In Hong Kong, many judges of foreign nationality had secured “judicial independence”. A judge who heard cases involving the National Security Law would now be appointed by the Chief Executive who was the top Hong Kong government. There was a concern that the judgments of foreign nationals might be eliminated and the judgment would always be closer to China. If there was a conflict with other laws in Hong Kong, the provisions of the Hong Kong National Security Act now would prevail and the right to interpret the law would be held by the NPC.

The new law was expected to be added exceptionally to the annex of the “Hong Kong Basic Law,” which was equivalent to the Hong Kong constitution, and would take effect without the deliberation of the Hong Kong Legislative Council (Parliament).

The NPC Executive Committee generally met once every two months. In principle, China's "legislation" stipulates deliberation three times, but this bill had just been deliberated on the 18th to 20th. Passing it within 10 days was something unusual.

On July 18, registration of candidates for the Hong Kong Legislative Council to be held in September would begin. It was likely that Xi's leadership was rushing the whole thing was aiming at curbing Hong Kong's protests and democratic election campaigns.

              So, the “One country, two systems” for Hong Kong as promised by China is broken. Let’s see what the international community will do in response to this.