Govt preparing sanctions law

August 17, 2021

Chief Executive Carrie Lam:

In recent interactions with the business chambers based in Hong Kong, I have this very strong feeling that their initial anxiety about the National Security Law has subsided. 

But you are right that the passage of the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law by the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) and its likely application to Hong Kong by inclusion in Annex 3 (of the Basic Law) may have generated other anxiety. 

So I said on this occasion last Tuesday that my advice - and sort of opinion - to the National People's Congress Standing Committee is for us to go through a local legislative process so that we could be in a better position to explain the purpose of this Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law and to take into account Hong Kong's actual situation before we prepare this piece of local legislation. 

At the moment we do not have an explicit timetable because the NPCSC has yet to make the decision on listing this Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law into Annex 3 of the Basic Law for application to Hong Kong, but we have started some initial discussions on what the law should look like, if there is going to be a piece of local legislation.

(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today said preparations are being made for the detailed implementation of the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law in Hong Kong.

“At the moment we do not have an explicit timetable because the National People’s Congress Standing Committee has yet to make the decision on listing this Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law into Annex 3 of the Basic Law for application to Hong Kong.

“We have started some initial discussions on what the law should look like, if there is going to be a piece of local legislation,” Mrs Lam explained to reporters at a media session ahead of the Executive Council meeting today.

The Chief Executive noted she proposed enacting the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law through local legislation subsequent to its likely inclusion in Annex 3 of the Basic Law, having taken into account the business community’s possible concern.

“We could be in a better position to explain the purpose of this Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law and to take into account Hong Kong’s actual situation before we prepare this piece of local legislation.”