The UK Foreign Office released the Hong Kong Assessment Report for the second half of 2023 on Monday, April 15. The report emphasizes that the Chinese Communist Party’s National Security Law in Hong Kong has no legal effect in the UK and reassures Hong Kong residents in the UK that “you are safe here.”
The UK Foreign Office condemned the Chinese Communist Party for breaking its promises. The Foreign Office stated that when China and the UK signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration, both parties agreed that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region would maintain a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign affairs and defense for at least 50 years after the handover. However, less than 23 years later, Beijing implemented a national security law in Hong Kong, which the CCP’s actions are in violation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Under the CCP’s National Security Law, political opposition in Hong Kong has been eliminated, dissenters have been criminalized, and civil society has been marginalized.
The report also calls for the Chinese Communist Party to abolish the National Security Law being implemented in Hong Kong.
The UK criticized the Hong Kong authorities for seeking extraterritorial enforcement of the National Security Law and stated that in July and December 2023, the Hong Kong police issued arrest warrants and bounties for 13 individuals residing overseas. These individuals were targeted simply for exercising their freedom of speech, with many now residing in the UK.
“We will not tolerate any attempt by foreign forces to intimidate, harass, or harm individuals within the UK. The National Security Law has no legal effect in the UK. We have no effective extradition agreements with Hong Kong or China. I want to assure our respected Hong Kong community in the UK: you are safe here,” wrote UK Foreign Secretary Cameron in the preface of the report.
The Chinese Communist Party implemented the Hong Kong National Security Law on June 30, 2020. In the era of the National Security Law, democratic protests and gatherings in Hong Kong have become a thing of the past. Hong Kong’s judicial independence and press freedom have been severely undermined, and all sectors, including administration, education, and legislation, have been impacted. Hundreds of democracy advocates have been imprisoned, and tens of thousands of residents have chosen to leave Hong Kong.
On March 19 this year, Hong Kong swiftly passed the highly criticized Article 23, which took effect on March 23. While the report released by the UK on Monday covers the period from July 1 to December 31, 2023, Foreign Secretary Cameron also criticized the newly passed Article 23 in the preface of the Hong Kong report.
Cameron stated that the National Security Law has a “negative impact on the ability of the people of Hong Kong to exercise their rights and freedoms.”
“As a signatory to the Joint Declaration, when we see actions by the Chinese government or the Hong Kong government that undermine the rule of law or weaken rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, the UK will not hesitate to speak out,” Cameron said.
The international community has criticized Article 23 as a new tool for the Chinese Communist Party and the Hong Kong authorities to suppress dissent. Sarah Brooks, Director of the China team at Amnesty International, said Article 23 had dealt another devastating blow to human rights in Hong Kong.
Human Rights Watch stated, “This new security law will usher in a new era of authoritarianism in Hong Kong. Now, even owning a book critical of the Chinese government could potentially violate national security and result in a prison sentence in Hong Kong.”