This is the 1684th issue of "Hong Kong One Day".
The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, and the Security Bureau responded to the smearing of 23 pieces of legislation
Chen Binhua, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, responded to Taiwan's "Minister of Transportation" Wang Guocai's statement that "the people of Taiwan should not go to Hong Kong for the sake of safety" at a regular press conference of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council today (27th), criticizing the DPP authorities for intimidating the people.
Chen Binhua pointed out that the completion of the enactment of Article 23 of the Basic Law has made up for the shortcomings of the system and mechanism for safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and provided an important institutional guarantee for Hong Kong's prosperity, stability and long-term peace and stability. The DPP authorities' wanton attack on the 23-article legislation is nothing more than the fear that Hong Kong will maintain prosperity and stability, and their slander against "one country, two systems" will not stand.
Chen Binhua continued to point out that the DPP authorities like to intimidate the people, and they can go wherever they can't, and it seems that the people's travel destinations have to be designated by them. He stressed that the mainland has consistently encouraged and supported normal and healthy exchanges between Hong Kong and Taiwan, and protected the legitimate rights and interests of Taiwan compatriots in accordance with the law. As long as they do not engage in illegal and criminal activities, Taiwan compatriots do not have to worry at all about traveling to and from Hong Kong and the mainland, and they can come happily and return home in peace.
In response to a reporter's question, whether the 23 pieces of legislation are an upgraded version of "one country, two systems". The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council pointed out that the practice of "one country, two systems" has been recognized as a success in Hong Kong, and the implementation of the "Safeguarding National Security Ordinance" has provided a solid legal guarantee for Hong Kong's prosperity and development.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (27th) expressed strong dissatisfaction and condemnation of the extremely misleading report by the BBC entitled "Hong Kong's "Article 23" and the National Security Law: The Refusal of Commutation of the Sentence of "Second-Generation Captain America" Ma Junwen under the New Ordinance" and the distorted remarks of some anti-China organizations and wanted criminals who have absconded from foreign countries. It is necessary for the HKSAR Government to provide clarification in order to set the record straight.
The spokesman said that the relevant provisions apply to all prisoners who are serving a sentence for an offence convicted of endangering national security, regardless of whether the sentence was imposed before, on or after the relevant amendments came into effect. The enforcement of sentences has always been within the purview of administrative organs. Taking into account the facts of the case and all relevant factors, including the representations of persons in custody, the Commissioner of Correctional Services strictly carries out his duties and exercises his discretion in strict accordance with the powers conferred by law to ensure that all cases are handled fairly.
The spokesman pointed out that the BBC's citation of accusations against the SAR by anti-China organizations while completely ignoring the UK's law on terrorist offenders (Terrorism Offenders (Restriction of Early Release) Act 2020) which provides for tightening the threshold for "parole" for convicted defendants in terrorism cases is a complete double standard. The HKSAR Government strongly condemns it.
In addition, the Secretary for Security, Tang Ping-keung, sent a letter to the New York Times today (27th), strongly opposing and condemning his opinion article on 23 pieces of legislation. The opinion piece was headlined, "Hong Kongers Can Only Whisper About Freedom Now." The author also mentioned that his friends were worried that the existence of Apple Daily would break the law, according to the content, and that the article would affect the protection of human rights in Hong Kong after the 23 articles were enacted.
Deng Bingqiang data map
The Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, criticised the comment as highly misleading, adding that the offence of possession of seditious publications under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance has made it clear that possession without reasonable excuse can only constitute an offence. If the person involved did not know that the publication had seditious intent, he could not have been convicted. Tang Bingqiang stressed that the Regulations on Safeguarding National Security stipulate that the rights and freedoms conferred by the Basic Law will be protected in accordance with the law.
The Civic Party was dissolved and removed from the company register today
The Civic Party, which initiated voluntary liquidation last year, completed all procedures today (27th) and was officially dissolved, and Civic Party Limited was removed from the company register, ending its 18-year history.
At the end of last year, the liquidators convened a final meeting of Civic Party Limited under the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance, Chapter 32 of the Laws of Hong Kong, to present and explain the winding-up report to its members.
Founded in 2006, the Civic Party was initially positioned as a middle-class and professional party. After more than a decade of evolution, during the "black riots" in 2019, some members repeatedly contacted foreign countries to sanction Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong SAR, and even participated in organizing the illegal "35+ primary election" in 2020. After the promulgation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, a number of members of the Civic Party, including former Legislative Council members Yeung Yuek-kiu, Tam Man-ho, and Kwok Ka-ki, were prosecuted for their involvement in the "primary election" case.
In 2023, there will be more than 19,000 customs enforcement cases, with illicit cigarettes accounting for the largest proportion
At the year-end press conference today (27th), the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Ho Pui-shan, said that there were 19,120 customs enforcement cases last year, an increase of 1.7 times compared with 2022, and the total value of seized goods was 10.57 billion yuan, an increase of 48%, and a total of 15,589 people were arrested, an increase of 2.5 times.
Source: Sing Tao Daily
According to Ho Pei Shan, among all the law enforcement cases last year, there were nearly 12,000 illicit cigarette cases, an increase of 2.4 times over the previous year, and the number of illicit cigarettes was 652 million. According to Ho Peishan's analysis, after the resumption of customs clearance at the beginning of last year, the number of cross-border crossings and trains rebounded. Coupled with the increase in tobacco duty in Hong Kong, Customs has stepped up its efforts to combat the carrying of excess duty-free cigarettes by tourists and the sale of illicit cigarettes in the city, resulting in a significant increase in the number of such cases. She pointed out that although the criminal syndicate still smuggled Hong Kong from Southeast Asian countries by sea, the amount of smuggling was reduced each time, and the illicit cigarettes were smuggled into the country in batches in the form of "ants moving".
The Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Ms Ho Pui-shan. Source: Sing Tao Daily
Regarding the absence of the "football king" Messi from Hong Kong, Ho Peishan introduced that as of yesterday, Hong Kong Customs had received a total of 360 reports, involving 2 million yuan, about 60% of which came from local consumers. Customs advises consumers to carefully study the relevant terms and conditions, and it is up to the consumer to decide whether to accept the refund. She said that the department would keep in touch with the complainant to ascertain in due course whether the complainant was still willing to cooperate with the criminal investigation after the refund arrangement was announced by the organiser. If so, the investigation will continue.
Four international cruise ships berthed in Hong Kong at the same time Kevin Yeung arrived at the pier to greet passengers
Today (27th), four international cruise ships docked in Hong Kong at the same time, bringing about 10,000 tourists. Two vessels are berthed at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, including a German cruise ship with a home port of Hong Kong and the Melody of the Seas for the first time, while two are berthed at the Tsim Sha Tsui Marine Terminal, which belong to German and American shipping companies respectively.
The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Kevin Yeung, greeted passengers at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal this morning, saying that both bus and taxi services can meet the needs of passengers. Yang Runxiang also communicated with tourists on the spot, introducing Hong Kong's attractions and the "Art March" activities.
Yang Yunxiong greeted the tourists at the pier. Source: Yang Yunxiong's personal social platform
Yang Yunxiong posted on social platforms today that in addition to being art month, March is also the most lively month for cruise tourism in Hong Kong. There were 20 cruise ships from all over the world visiting Hong Kong throughout the month, providing 33 sailings and bringing 100,000 cruise passengers. He was pleased to learn that the "tailor-made" planning of terminal operators and cruise lines, transport operators and travel agents has arranged a variety of travel modes to facilitate travellers to attractions and destinations, which is generally satisfactory. The HKSAR Government will continue to monitor the work of the operators.
In addition, tomorrow night, the four cruise ships will depart for the next leg at different times with the backdrop of a number of large-scale installations in Art@Victoria Harbour. Mr Yeung said cruise passengers could enjoy Hong Kong's night view and the lively waterfront atmosphere from a unique perspective from the sea. Residents and visitors on both sides of Victoria Harbour can also get a close-up look at the departure of large cruise ships.
Author丨Guo Yongji, chief writer of Shenzhen Satellite TV Direct News
Editor丨Yang Ying, Editor-in-Chief of Shenzhen Satellite TV Direct News
Typesetting丨Su Ruixue, Shenzhen Satellite TV direct news editor