Liaison Office chief to advise on national security matters
Liaison Office Chief Fu Ziying will be one of the lead advisors in charge of safeguarding national security in Macau, the Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.
According to the state media, Fu will be lead advisor of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Macau SAR which, on proposal of the Chief Executive (CE) Ho Iat Seng, has established the posts of National Security Adviser and National Security Technical Adviser.
Among the duties, Fu will be in charge of “supervising, guiding, coordinating and supporting Macau in safeguarding national security.”
The local government issued a statement the same day, expressing satisfaction with the central government’s approval of the proposal. It said, “the MSAR [Macau Special Administrative Region] government strongly supports the decision of the central government, and will work towards its full implementation.”
In the same statement, the local government explained that it has been working since the handover on laws and administrative mechanisms, aiming to safeguard national security. It has also commenced “national security work according to law, to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, and maintain prosperity and stability in Macau.”
The main task of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security is to advise on planned revisions to the supporting laws and regulations regarding national security matters, which will amend the regulations in force since 2009.
According to the government, the new amendments will: strengthen law enforcement; promote national security education; continue to improve the Legislative Assembly’s electoral system; and “maintain, in Macau, the overall interests of national security.”
“Making progress in perfecting laws and administrative mechanisms to ensure national security, continuously strengthening the systems and capabilities for safeguarding national security, and strengthening national security education, are conducive overall to safeguarding national security, and to the long-term stability of Macau,” the government’s statement said. They added that “these steps match the overall interests of the country and Macau society, and are matters of practical importance and urgency.”
The government also noted that the CE will act immediately to amend Administrative Regulation No. 22/2018, which established and regulated the Committee for Safeguarding National Security. The amendment will update its content, including outlining the newly created National Security Adviser and the National Security Technical Adviser roles.
