Going beyond the usual concerns, the Presidents of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and of the European Council, Charles Michel, announced on Tuesday 30 June that they would conduct consultations to see how to respond to the adoption of the National Security Act in Hong Kong.
“We remain in touch with international partners and will pay attention carefully attention on how to respond” to the Chinese decision, explained Mrs von der Leyen, who was questioned on the subject following the virtual summit between the EU and South Korea (see other news). She added that the Commission would assess the situation “in close cooperation with the other European institutions”. For his part, Mr Michel warned that the Chinese decision, which he “deplores”, required “strong coordination between the Member States in order to see what we are going to do in the near future”.
In addition to possible measures, the President of the Commission recalled that China could face negative consequences with this law, including with regard to business confidence, reputation and public perception against it. 50% of European investment in China is channelled through Hong Kong and 1,600 European companies are active there.
On 18 June, the European Parliament had called for measures against China if the law is finally adopted (see EUROPE 12509/6).
The two Presidents warned again that this law could seriously undermine Hong Kong’s degree of autonomy and have a detrimental effect on the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law (see EUROPE 12511/1). According to Mrs von der Leyen, this law is not in line with the Basic Law and China’s international commitments. “Existing rights and freedoms for the residents of the city-state should be fully respected”, she added. 350,000 European citizens live in Hong Kong. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)