Lawyer group has ‘frank’ talk with Beijing about Hong Kong post-Article 23
Bar Association speaks with officials from Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office about areas of concern among general public, legal sector
The Hong Kong Bar Association has held a “frank” discussion with mainland Chinese officials overseeing the city’s affairs about the local situation following the enactment of the domestic national security law, the organisation’s chairman has said.
Victor Dawes, who is visiting Beijing as the head of a 14-member delegation, met officials from the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) on Tuesday morning, the second day of the association’s three-day trip to the capital.
“They don’t need us to sugarcoat the situation. They want to have a good understanding of matters that the legal profession or the general public are concerned with,” he told the Post in an interview after the meeting.
He said central authorities welcomed frank discussions, adding that his delegation had tried to be comprehensive in describing all aspects of the situation in Hong Kong.
The exchanges, including a meeting with members of China’s Ministry of Commerce on Monday, had also touched on the prospect of Western sanctions potentially targeting legal professionals in Hong Kong.
“I’m glad that we’re actually able to discuss some of the more technical aspects [of the sanctions] with specialists here as well,” he said.
