Exclusive | Hong Kong Justice Minister After Homeland Security Law: I’ll go where I’m welcome, like the Middle East, not the West

Lam told the Post in an interview that he currently has no plans to visit the US – where he said he may not be welcome – and other Western countries to discuss opposing views on the new law, which bans five new types of offences. to combat.

“I want to tell the real Hong Kong story, and that is a good Hong Kong story. It’s not political propaganda. But it is subject to two very important conditions,” Lam said.

“The first problem is safety. It’s not my personal safety. It is also about the safety of my colleagues who come with me. The second point is that I have to consider whether I am given a fair and reasonable opportunity to say what I want to say.”

He cited the “bad experiences” that Financial Services and Finance Minister Christopher Hui Ching-yu and Education Minister Christine Choi Yuk-lin encountered when they visited Chicago and Britain respectively this year.

A group of protesters rallied against Hui outside an event venue, while Choi also faced objections over her visit from anti-China activists, once prompting her office to say her itinerary might be changed.

“These are things I should try to avoid because it can lead to personal risks – not just for myself, but for other people too. Secondly, it will not serve the intended purpose,” he said.

“Instead of going abroad, an alternative is to invite people to come to Hong Kong if I get a chance to talk to them. But at the same time, they can walk around, they can just talk to other people, people who are not government officials.”

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Therefore, Lam will visit several countries in the Middle East next month to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between local legal professionals and their counterparts.

“The challenges are actually forcing the government, including myself, to consider going to places we wouldn’t previously consider going. Because we used to be quite used to going to certain countries,” he said.

“But as circumstances change, challenge means opportunity.”

The Hong Kong government led by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu had refocused the government’s attention on emerging markets in the Middle East and Southeast Asia amid tensions between China and the US. The focus is on investing and capitalizing on the city’s unique position in the country’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Lam emphasized that Hong Kong, as an international city, should not be selective and should “make new friends.”

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He said Middle Eastern countries had in the past relied heavily on friendship with Western countries such as the US, but would now also hope to diversify their investments and seize the opportunities presented by China in the changing geopolitical environment.

As a major financial center, Hong Kong could serve as a base for these countries to invest in the mainland and the city’s high-quality legal services would play a key role, Lam argued.

“Most investments and businesses require protection by law and that is the strength of Hong Kong. We have a very user-friendly legal system, especially for investors and foreign businessmen, a highly independent judiciary, predictable laws and regulations and a credible legal system,” he said.

“These are some of the key attractions that would be essential or make Hong Kong even more attractive to people in the Middle East.”