National Anthem Bill passes second reading at HKSAR LegCo
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E-mail Xinhua, May 29, 2020
The National Anthem Bill passed the second reading on Thursday evening at the Legislative Council (LegCo) of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
The bill was supported by more than half of the LegCo members present in a vote.
After the vote, LegCo President Andrew Leung adjourned the meeting until next week when the bill will be considered by the committee of the whole council.
Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs of the HKSAR government Erick Tsang said ahead of the vote that considering a very small number of people may deliberately insult the national anthem in public, it is necessary to establish clear norms and guidelines and make efforts in all the aspects of education, regulation and punishment concerning the national anthem.
China's National Anthem Law came into force in the mainland in 2017 and then the Standing Committee of the 12th National People's Congress adopted the decision to add the law to Annex III to the HKSAR Basic Law.
In accordance with Article 18 of the Basic Law, the national laws listed in Annex III to the Basic Law shall be applied locally by way of promulgation or legislation by the HKSAR.
The HKSAR government started to push for the legislation at the beginning of 2018 and the LegCo finished the first reading and entered the second reading in January 2019. The second reading that should be resumed in June 2019 had been postponed due to social unrest and the deadlock in the LegCo's House Committee.
China's National Flag Law and National Emblem Law were included in Annex III to the Basic Law in 1997. The National Flag and National Emblem Ordinance of the HKSAR took effect on July 1, 1997.
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