Hong Kong business leaders on Wednesday hailed a draft law on safeguarding national security in the special administrative region, saying it is a timely antidote to the city’s constant chaos that has often turned violent.
They hope the law will help restore stability and order to the city, as well as a sound investment and business environment. A year of violent protests, which sometimes have been characterized by overt separatism, has severely undermined the peaceful and inclusive business climate the city used to have.
I believe that the introduction of the national security law will enable ordinary people to lead a safe and normal life and resume leisure activities and consumption as they had always enjoyed before the riots William
So Wing-on,
managing director of Charter Investment Development
Ko Pui-shuen, chairman of garment company Kingrich Asia Holdings, said the national security law is a piece of “timely good news for Hong Kong”.
She recalled that the Hong Kong business sector had taken a serious blow in the past year. The social unrest prolonged by violent protests disrupted business activities as it became impossible for merchants to assess the risks.
“All business people feel uneasy about investing and have lost their confidence in the future,” she told China Daily.
The businesspeople of Hong Kong welcomed the proposed law because they know that the central government aims to ensure the long-term stability of Hong Kong and enforce the “one country, two systems” principle, said Ko, who is also a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
William So Wing-on, managing director of Charter Investment Development, called for general support for the law because “it is for our protection”. He said he believes that the introduction of the national security law will enable ordinary people to lead a safe and normal life and resume leisure activities and consumption as they had always enjoyed before the riots.
So said he shares the concerns of many businesspeople about Hong Kong’s future during the turmoil erupted last year. Such a recession has not been seen in the 50 years since he moved to Hong Kong to start a business, he added.
So also condemned the claims of some opposition politicians intent on smearing the national security law and intimidating global investors. He remains confident investors and entrepreneurs will eventually return to Hong Kong after the national security law proves to be beneficial to the city.
Lam Kwong-siu, vice-chairman of the Bank of China International Holdings, said he hopes the national security law will prevent separatists and opposition forces from conducting violent and even terrorist activities. Their unlawful conduct severely disturbed the economic order in the past year, he added.
Lam said he hopes the law will restore order in the city as soon as possible because a stable social environment could not only restore investor confidence and help maintain Hong Kong’s status as an international financial center, but also underpin the city’s economic development and improvement of people’s livelihoods.
