Hong Kong Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Stephen Lam said on Saturday
that the legislative proposals of Article 23 of the Basic Law will not affect
Hong Kong people's life style, rights and freedoms.
He said the central people's government was concerned about the well-being of
the Hong Kong people and was willing to help Hong Kong resolve critical problems
in accordance with the "One Country, Two Systems" principle.
Meanwhile, in the past six years since its return to the motherland, Hong
Kong people's understanding towards the mainland has deepened and their
confidence in the central people's government has been enhanced, he said.
The official also noted that Hong Kong people's awareness about the Basic Law
has been improved over the past years.
According to the findings of a recent survey which covered the period of
2000-2002 and was conducted by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
government, the percentage of respondents who have knowledge of the Basic Law
rose from 80 percent in 2000 to 90 percent in late 2002.
Article 23 of the Basic Law stipulates that the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region (HKSAR) shall enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of
treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the central people's
government, or theft of state secrets.
It also prohibits foreign political organizations or bodies from conducting
political activities in the HKSAR and prohibits political organizations or
bodies in Hong Kong from establishing ties with foreign political organizations
or bodies.
