Deputy head of Beijing’s Hong Kong affairs office praises ‘foreign friends practising law’
- Nong Rong, deputy head of HKMAO, delivers rare English-only speech after shock resignation of two British judges from city’s top court
The deputy head of Beijing’s office overseeing Hong Kong affairs has praised the role of “foreign friends practising law” in the city, in a rare English-only speech as he defended the judicial system two days after the shock resignation of two British judges from the top local court.
Nong Rong, the deputy head of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), also told investors at an event on Saturday that the city’s two national security laws were “never meant to lock up Hong Kong”.
He was joined at the forum by Zheng Yanxiong, Beijing’s top man in the city, who said the effectiveness of the security legislation was important and pointed to the need to secure justice in the outcomes of law enforcement.
The event was held to mark the coming fourth anniversary of the enactment of the Beijing-decreed national security law.
Nong emphasised the central government fully supported Hong Kong in maintaining its common law system and consolidating its rule of law advantages.
“The rule of law is a global brand of Hong Kong, and a shared asset that the country and all sectors in Hong Kong take pride in. It provides an important cornerstone for safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of Hong Kong,” Nong said in a half-hour speech delivered entirely in English.
