This signals the legislative work entering a public consultative stage. Every Hong Kong residents is able to offer their opinions on the legislation in the three-month open debate.

Under the Article 23 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong SAR is obliged to 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, to prohibit foreign political organizations or bodies from conducting political activities in the Region, and to prohibit political organizations or bodies of the Region from establishing ties with foreign political organizations or bodies.

According to Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Elsie Leung, Article 23 of the Basic Law reflects Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and allows Hong Kong to enact its own legislation consistent with obligations of Hong Kong people under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Recently, Leung said that in preparing laws under Article 23, the Hong Kong SAR government will give full regard to the provisions in the two international covenants and provisions of the Basic Law concerning freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.

She said that the government will also conduct wide consultation and take into account public opinions. The proposals will be fully debated by members of the Legislative Council and will need to be acceptable to them.

Local media reported Tuesday that many of the Hong Kong business leaders and celebrities, including tycoon Li Ka-shing, have voiced their support to the legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law.

They said that the time is ripe now for Hong Kong to legislate Article 23. Li, chairman of Hutchison Whampoa, stressed that such legislation would in no way cloud Hong Kong's investment climate.

U.S. Consul General James R. Keith also told the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong Monday about his support to the Hong Kong government to legislate Article 23.

Keith noted that it is up to the Hong Kong people and their government to decide how best to expand the franchise of the functional constituencies in Legco, how to move toward universal suffrage and a more representative government, what to conclude after a free and open debate about the demands of Article 23 of the Basic Law, and, in short, how best to fulfill the promise of democratization in Hong Kong's constitution.

"My hope is for Hong Kong's continued success in the world, and my conviction is that the more democratic Hong Kong society becomes, the more resilient, flexible, and creative its government will be in reaching new achievements," Keith said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 24, 2002)