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HKFP
2 days ago
- Business
- HKFP
Hong Kong leader defends new national security conditions for restaurant licence
Hong Kong leader John Lee has defended new national security conditions for licences issued to restaurants and other food and entertainment-related businesses. Speaking at a weekly press conference on Tuesday, the chief executive described the new conditions as 'appropriate and the right thing to do.' The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) is bound by law to safeguard national security, he said, and the 'offending conduct' against national security is 'clearly stated' in the conditions. Lee shrugged off worries raised by some businesses in the city that they may run afoul of the law unwittingly. 'Offending conduct means any offence that endangers national security, or acts and events that are contrary to national security and public interest in Hong Kong. It is very clear,' he said in Cantonese. 'Security is the foundation for development, and we will continue to revamp the laws and the mechanisms of safeguarding national security, he added. FEHD letter Local media reported on Monday that since the end of May, restaurants, entertainment premises, and other businesses had received a letter from the FEHD. According to the FEHD letter, if business licence holders and 'related persons' engage in 'offending conduct' against national security or public interest, authorities could revoke their licence. 'Related persons' include directors, management, employees, agents, and subcontractors, the letter read. One restaurant owner told HKFP on Monday that both of his eateries received the FEHD's letter, postmarked Thursday, May 30. Some eatery owners told Ming Pao that they feared the new conditions were too vague and that they could lose their licence over false allegations. Lee said on Tuesday that the conditions also applied to licences for stalls in Chinese New Year markets. Every Chinese citizen is obliged to safeguard national security, including residents of Hong Kong, he said, citing China's constitution. The government is bound to protect national security, the chief executive added, citing the Beijing-imposed national security law and the homegrown Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, known locally as Article 23. Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong's mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.
HKFP
3 days ago
- Business
- HKFP
Eateries, entertainment premises could lose licence over conduct ‘contrary' to national security
Hong Kong authorities have warned restaurants, entertainment premises, and other businesses that they could lose their licences if they engage in acts deemed 'contrary' to national security. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) sent letters to businesses at the end of May about new national security-related clauses under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, according to local media reports. The letter states that if business licence holders and 'related persons' engage in 'offending conduct' against national security or public interest, authorities could revoke their licence. 'Related persons' include directors, management, employees, agents, and subcontractors, the letter read. In response to media enquiries, the FEHD said the conditions were aimed at deterring behaviour contrary to national security, and that licence holders who abide by the law would not be affected. According to an updated version of the FEHD's food business licence application form dated May 2025, applicants have to sign beneath a paragraph that reads: 'I shall ensure that no act or activity engaged or involved in by me or any of my related persons… may constitute or cause the occurrence of an offence endangering national security under the National Security Law or other laws of the HKSAR, or conduct is otherwise contrary to the interests of national security or the interest of the public (including public morals, public order and/or public safety) of Hong Kong.' A July 2024 version of the form contained no such paragraph. Local media outlets reported that, besides restaurants, businesses holding other types of licences – including cinemas, gaming centres, funeral parlours, and saunas also saw the same national security conditions. HKFP has reached out to the FEHD for comment. Government adviser Ronny Tong told HK01 in an interview published on Sunday that it was 'hard to say' if the new conditions were targeted at 'yellow shops,' a term that refers to businesses that have expressed a pro-democracy stance. When asked if the phrase 'Hong Kong add oil' could be risky, Tong said he could not give a blanket answer. 'If it is just a saying, or a description, or an icon… I think you need to consider the wider environment and what the intention is,' he said.
