He said in his letter: “The consequences of not addressing the international implications of this legislation would be to the detriment of Hong Kong’s position as the unique international business centre as it would surely erode any advantage that Hong Kong has over not only the Mainland but other regional centres…”
He stressed: “The proposals to give the Secretary for Security the power to proscribe organisations proscribed on the mainland on grounds of national security appear to give the Chinese authorities a substantial foothold in the criminal law of the HKSAR. It is important that the line between SAR and Mainland law is not blurred….”
In the summary, he said, “If the Government's aspiration to become Asia's World City is to be fulfilled then it must ensure that the rights and freedoms (as outlined in the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law) are protected, the rule of law remains intact, and the "one country two systems" principle is upheld. To fail to do so would will make Hong Kong a much less favourable location for international business to be based simply because it will remove its regional and national uniqueness.”
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