Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (right) congratulates newly appointed Secretary General of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chan Kwok-ki on his new appointment, Hong Kong, South China, July 2, 2020. (Photo courtesy of the HKSAR government)
Director of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive's office Chan Kwok-ki was sworn in Thursday as the secretary general of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR, said the HKSAR government Information Services Department.
In accordance with stipulations of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR, China's State Council, on the nomination by the HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam, has appointed Chan as the secretary general of the committee on Thursday.
"As the director of the chief executive's office, Chan has had distinguished performance in leading the office," Lam said.
"I have no doubt that he is capable of taking up the post of the secretary general of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the HKSAR, in addition to his existing post, to lead the Secretariat to support the committee to fulfill its crucial responsibility to safeguard national security."
As required by the national security law for the HKSAR, a committee for safeguarding national security of the HKSAR chaired by the chief executive will be established to take up national security affairs and bear the major responsibility for safeguarding national security, and will be under the supervision of and be accountable to the central government.
Members of the committee will include the Chief Secretary for Administration, the Financial Secretary, the Secretary for Justice, the Secretary for Security, the Commissioner of Police, the head of the department for safeguarding national security of the Hong Kong Police Force, the Director of Immigration, the Commissioner of Customs and Excise and the Director of the chief executive's office.
The Secretariat under the committee is to be headed by the secretary general.
The law on safeguarding national security in the HKSAR was applied by promulgation in the HKSAR on Tuesday.
