What’s new: China’s top legislature has reportedly postponed a vote on a draft decision to add the anti-foreign sanctions law into the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, according to local media platform HK01.
Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong’s delegate to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the national legislature’s top decision-making body, told the media outlet that the committee has deliberated on the draft but decided not to vote for the time being and “will continue to study related issues.”
“I believe this will make the anti-foreign sanctions law more effective,” Tam was quoted by the media outlet as saying.
The motion to apply the anti-foreign sanctions law in Hong Kong had not been included in the voting schedule of the NPC Standing Committee session which ended on Friday, according to official statement (link in Chinese).
The background: The NPC Standing Committee convened its 30th session from Tuesday to Friday in Beijing. The agenda included a draft decision to add more national laws to Annex III of Hong Kong’s Basic Law, the semi-autonomous region’s mini-constitution, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency. Citing sources, local media in Hong Kong reported that the anti-foreign sanctions law, newly approved in June by the national legislature, may be included.
During the session, lawmakers voted to adopt new laws including the law on personal information protection and legal aid law, according Xinhua. They also approved a draft amendment to the Population and Family Planning Law that legitimizes the three-child policy and family-friendly measures.
Contact reporter Cai Xuejiao (xuejiaocai@caixin.com) and editor Heather Mowbray (heathermowbray@caixin.com)
Get our weekly free Must-Read newsletter.
