Hong Kong's LegCo Condemns Western Criticism of Judicial System and National Security Laws

HKSAR LegCo strongly condemns smearing and slanderous remarks by external forces on the "Hong Kong Alliance" case

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

The Legislative Council (LegCo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (22 August) expressed strong opposition and dissatisfaction with, and strongly condemned, the malicious attacks, slanders and smearing against the judicial system and national security laws of Hong Kong by various western countries, anti-China media, organisations and politicians, using the court's verdict of conviction concerning the case of "incitement to subversion of state power by the Hong Kong Alliance".

A spokesperson for LegCo pointed out, "The Constitution is the fundamental law of the state, making clear that the leadership of the Communist Party of China is the cornerstone of the constitutional order of the People's Republic of China. As an inalienable part of our country, Hong Kong must firmly uphold its constitutional order. Any attempt to subvert the fundamental system of the country will not be tolerated in any society under the rule of law. The court's verdict precisely reflects the spirit of the rule of law in conducting independent trials in accordance with the law."

The LegCo spokesperson stressed that the reasons for the court's verdict were detailed, clearly pointing out that the trial of the case was never targeted at the defendants' political views, but was based on objective law and evidence, strictly following the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL) and other relevant laws. After the HKNSL came into effect, the defendants still persistently pressed ahead with subversion activities, and their acts clearly went beyond the boundaries of lawful freedom of expression. The entire trial procedure was open and transparent, and the verdict was lawful, fair and reasonable, conforming to the fundamental interests of Hong Kong. It is an inevitable requirement for the comprehensive and accurate implementation of the HKNSL as well as relevant legal systems and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security. LegCo solemnly urges external forces to immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs, respect the rule of law and judicial independence in Hong Kong, and refrain from smearing Hong Kong's judicial system with double standards.

The LegCo spokesperson pointed out that freedoms of speech and association are not absolute. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights also expressly states that restrictions may be prescribed by law under the prerequisite of safeguarding national security, among others. Members of the public must distinguish the rights from wrongs and clearly draw the line between this case and the normal expression of opinions.

The spokesperson reiterated that national security is the fundamental prerequisite for Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. Safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests is the fundamental premise of the "one country, two systems". Only by safeguarding national security can the various lawful rights and interests of the public be effectively protected, and favourable conditions be created for Hong Kong's long-term development. The spokesperson further emphasized that, for Hong Kong to advance from stability to prosperity, equal emphasis must be placed on both security and development. Security and development are not mutually exclusive, but complement each other. There is no finished state, only an ongoing process; security is the prerequisite for development, and development is the guarantee for security, neither of which can be dispensed with.

Under the executive-led system, LegCo, as the Legislature of the HKSAR, will certainly continue to fully support the HKSAR Government in administering in accordance with the law and firmly safeguarding national security, ensuring the steadfast and successful implementation of "one country, two systems".

Source: AI-found images

The Government has pressed ahead with inter-departmental drills at the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area, testing operational readiness across cross-boundary passenger clearance and vehicle inspection procedures.

Multiple departments, including the Police Force, the Immigration Department, the Customs & Excise Department, the Department of Health and the Government Property Agency took part in the exercises to ensure full preparedness ahead of the port’s commissioning.

Immigration officers guide a visitor denied entry to Hong Kong through examination and Customs inspection during a drill at the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area, , before escorting her back to Shenzhen.

During passenger clearance simulations at the departure hall, the Immigration Department tested contingency measures for a “Collaborative Inspection & Joint Clearance” automated channels breakdown that triggered heavy queuing.

In response, frontline staff redirected travellers to manual counters and co-ordinated with the Shenzhen General Station of Exit & Entry Frontier Inspection to set up temporary manual counters. Officers also deployed handheld devices to perform departure clearance for eligible Hong Kong residents, rapidly clearing the backup.

Customs officers direct a vehicle lacking a valid Closed Road Permit to the inspection area after detecting the violation at the “Customs front kiosk” in the vehicle departure hall during a drill.

In separate passenger scenarios, immigration officers escorted a traveller who failed to pass through the automated channel to the duty room for identification document verification.

Similarly, at the arrival hall, officers guided a visitor denied entry into Hong Kong to the duty room for examination, before co-ordinating Customs inspection and escorting her back to Shenzhen.

Vehicle inspection drills at the vehicle departure hall involved the Customs & Excise Department, the Police Force, the Immigration Department, and other departments testing responses to multiple operational scenarios.

Department of Health staff perform manual temperature screening with handheld infrared scanners following a simulated system failure at the “joint one-stop” vehicle lanes.

In one mock situation at the “Customs front kiosk”, a vehicle was scanned for its licence plate, and officers found that it lacked a valid Closed Road Permit. In another, a vehicle was stopped after passengers failed to disembark for Customs inspection, prompting Customs officers to direct the vehicle to an inspection area for follow-up.

Meanwhile, at the vehicle arrival hall, the Immigration Department simulated a system failure across the “joint one-stop” vehicle lanes. Officers smoothly transitioned to manual checks of identification documents. Concurrently, the Department of Health deployed to the kiosk to execute manual temperature screening using handheld infrared scanners.