In response to media enquiries about the funding arrangement for the expenditure for safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), a Government spokesman said the following today (February 25):
The funding arrangement for the expenditure for safeguarding national security in the HKSAR is made in strict accordance with the relevant requirements in The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (the National Security Law). According to Article 12 of the National Security Law, the HKSAR shall establish the Committee for Safeguarding National Security. The Committee shall be responsible for affairs relating to and assume primary responsibility for safeguarding national security in the HKSAR. It shall be under the supervision of and accountable to the Central People's Government. Other provisions in Part 2 of Chapter II of the National Security Law stipulate the duties of the Committee, the Police Force and the Department of Justice.
According to Article 19 of the National Security Law, the Financial Secretary of the HKSAR shall, upon approval of the Chief Executive, appropriate from the general revenue a special fund to meet the expenditure for safeguarding national security and approve the establishment of relevant posts, which are not subject to any restrictions in the relevant provisions of the laws in force in the HKSAR. The Financial Secretary shall submit an annual report on the control and management of the fund for this purpose to the Legislative Council of the HKSAR. To this end, the Financial Secretary has made a provision of $8 billion to meet the expenditure for safeguarding national security in the next few years and will submit a report to the Legislative Council in due course.
According to Article 48 of the National Security Law, the Central People's Government shall establish in the HKSAR an office for safeguarding national security. The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR shall perform its mandate for safeguarding national security and exercise relevant powers in accordance with the law. Article 51 of the National Security Law stipulates that the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR shall be funded by the Central People's Government. As such, the above-mentioned provision of $8 billion has nothing to do with the expenditure of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR.
According to Article 14 of the National Security Law, no institution, organisation or individual in the HKSAR shall interfere with the work of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the HKSAR. Information relating to the work of the Committee shall not be subject to disclosure. Therefore, except for the above, we have no further information to provide in relation to the relevant provision.
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