SCIO briefing on the current situation in Hong Kong
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E-mail China.org.cn, September 4, 2019
The Yomiuri Shimbun:
My question is about the Basic Law of Hong Kong. Maria Tam Wai-chu, deputy director of the Basic Law Committee of HKSAR of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, published an article in the People's Daily on Aug. 30, referring to the provisions of Article 18 of the Basic Law, pointing out that any one of the provisions indicate that the garrison is not a scarecrow in the military camp, rather, it is an important force to comprehensively and accurately implement the "one country, two systems" policy. Article 18 of the Basic Law stipulates that the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress decides whether Hong Kong will enter a state of emergency, and the central government may issue an order to implement the relevant national laws in Hong Kong. May I ask the spokesman, according to the provisions of Article 18 of the Basic Law, can the garrison and armed police be dispatched in this case? Thank you.
Xu Luying:
Thank you for your question. "Stopping violence, ending the chaos and restoring order" is the most overwhelming, most important and most urgent task of Hong Kong. The central government unswervingly supports Chief Executive Carrie Lam to lead the HKSAR government in governance according to the rule of law, unswervingly support the Hong Kong police force in its strict law enforcement, and unswervingly support the relevant departments and judicial organs of the HKSAR to bring criminals to due justice as soon as possible and safeguard the law and order in Hong Kong. We believe that with the support of the central government and the joint efforts of the Hong Kong people, the HKSAR government has the will and ability to take all necessary measures "to stop violence, end the chaos and restore order" as soon as possible. The central government will absolutely not allow the chaos in Hong Kong to continue indefinitely. If the situation in Hong Kong further deteriorates and becomes a disturbance that cannot be controlled by the HKSAR government and endangers the sovereignty and security of the country, the central government will not just sit by and watch.
According to the Basic Law and the Garrison Law of the HKSAR, the duty of the PLA Hong Kong garrison is to safeguard the country's sovereignty, security, territorial integrity and Hong Kong's security. Article 14 of the Basic Law stipulates that the central government is responsible for the defense of the HKSAR. The HKSAR government may, when necessary, request the central government to let the garrison assist in the maintenance of public order and disaster relief. Article 18 of the Basic Law also stipulates that if there is a disturbance that cannot be controlled by the HKSAR government and endangers national unity or security, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress may decide on HKSAR entering a state of emergency. The central government may issue an order to implement the relevant national laws in Hong Kong. I think, after reading the provisions of Articles 14 and 18 to you, you should have a very clear answer to your questions. In the case of an emergency, national laws may be implemented in HKSAR according to the needs.
There is now a view in society that the dispatch of troops means the end of "one country, two systems." I want to say that this is completely wrong. No matter whether it is the central government that dispatches a garrison to assist in the maintenance of public order or for disaster relief at the request of the HKSAR government, or it is the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress that decides that HKSAR enters a state of emergency, both are implementing a specific provision of the Basic Law under the framework of "one country, two systems," which is an integral part of HKSAR's constitutional order. Thank you.
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