‘Historic moment’: Hong Kong passes domestic national security law after marathon session, fast-tracking legislation shelved for 2 decades
- All 88 Legislative Council members take turns over 10 hours to speak of their ‘historic mission’ to plug legal loopholes while Legco president casts 89th vote
- It is a proud moment for all of Hong Kong, Chief Executive John Lee says
There was no hint of dissent in the Legislative Council this time as all 88 members took turns over 10 hours to speak of their “historic mission” to plug loopholes in the city’s overall legal framework for protecting national security, and the Legco president himself cast the 89th vote to seal the deal.
“Today marks a historic moment for Hong Kong. It is a historic moment that Hong Kong has been waiting for 26 years, 8 months and 19 days … It is a proud moment for all of Hong Kong in collectively making glorious history,” Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said as he entered the chamber to personally congratulate legislators and announce that the new law would take effect on Saturday.
“We have accomplished this historic mission, living up to the trust placed in us by the central government and the country.”
Beijing’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office hailed the passage of the law, saying: “It has once again proved that the wheel of history is rolling forward, the righteous cause is undefeatable, and no reactionary force can stop the ‘one country, two systems’ [governing principle for Hong Kong] from advancing.”
It also emphasised that the law would not affect the city’s normal business activities and international exchanges.
