Both the HKSAR Secretary for Justice Elsie Leung and HKSAR Secretary for Security Regina Ip made the remarks in a joint news conference to announce measures that their policy bureaus will take to achieve the policy objectives as outlined in HKSAR Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa's Jan. 8 policy address.

According to Article 23 of the HKSAR Basic Law, the HKSAR government should draft law on a number of national security offenses.

Article 23 stipulates that "the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 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."

Leung stressed that the coming law drafting work of the HKSAR Department of Justice will include the full implementation of Article 23.

Ip said more than 90,000 submissions of public views have been received by the HKSAR government during a recent three-month consultation exercise to gather public views on how best to draft the law.

"The HKSAR Security Bureau is currently compiling statistics and conducting analysis on the submissions received. After seriously considering all the views, we will make appropriate amendments to the recommendations in the consultation document," Ip said.

Ip said the government is standing firm on opting for a blue bill, instead of a white bill.

The draft bill is expected to be submitted to the HKSAR Legislative Council in February, she said.

According to Article 23 of the Basic Law, the drafted law shall also "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."

(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2003)