The Official Secrets Ordinance will be amended to better tackle espionage in Hong Kong, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said yesterday.
He told lawmakers that certain countries have been attempting to endanger national security or "foment a color revolution" in the SAR, with the 2019 social unrest being a "vivid example."
Tang said that spies usually engage in activities such as "infiltrating state authorities, probing state secrets, inciting disaffection of public servants, paying and grooming agents with the view of stirring up trouble, intensifying social conflicts, advocating anti-government beliefs and even overthrowing state powers through violence and other means."
He also said spies have a causal relationship with domestic terrorism as spies will attempt to seize power by violence.
Tang added that growing domestic terrorism is an example of spies providing resources to terrorists, such as giving them "protection" by arranging for them to study overseas.
He said that the government's long-standing position is to combat espionage activities that endanger national security, adding: "Given that these spies and their agents are all backed by enemies of the state, actions must be taken to minimize the risks which they may bring about."
Although the existing Official Secrets Ordinance "regulates espionage," Tang said it was enacted many years ago and cannot fully address the acts of espionage and theft of state secrets at present.
He said the existing ordinance was too limited when it came to provisions including supplying "state secrets" to enemies.
"We feel that the definition of 'spy' [in the existing ordinance] is not enough for us to combat all manner of espionage activities," he said.
Alongside espionage, Tang said the legislation will outline specific crimes of treason and sedition. It will also ban activities by foreign political groups inside Hong Kong and crackdown on ties between such groups and local organizations.
"We are, along with the Department of Justice, studying the enhancement of the Official Secrets Ordinance in the context of the legislation on article 23 of the Basic Law, so as to better prevent acts of espionage and theft of state secrets," he said.
Tang said the government wants to start consultation before the end of the current government term and will introduce the bill to the Legislative Council for scrutiny in the second half of this year.