Hong Kong official backs sanctions law as NPC talks on national laws for SARs approach

Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan is backing local legislation to include Beijing’s anti-sanctions law in Hong Kong’s constitution.
In his blog, Chan wrote that the anti-sanctions law is aimed at “restoring the normal order of the market and protecting the development interests of normally operating enterprises.”
The Secretary said that Hong Kong has a constitutional responsibility to implement the anti-sanctions law that was passed in China in June by the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC).
Chan wrote that the law can “provide more diversified countermeasures in the policy toolbox, which can counterbalance [sanctions] and respond with commensurate strength.”
Late last month, the state-run news agency Xinhua reported that the NPC will meet in a closed-door session to be held from August 17 to 20 in Beijing.
China’s highest legislative body is set to discuss adding national laws to the annexes of the charters of both Hong Kong and Macau.
According to the proposed agenda, lawmakers will consider a draft decision to include additional national laws in the list of statutes in Annex III to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and a similar resolution concerning Annex III to the Basic Law of the Macau Special Administrative Region.
No further specifics of the legislation were disclosed.
The anti-sanctions law aims to counteract unilateral sanctions imposed against China by foreign countries, safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests as well as to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens and organizations.