(Bloomberg) — Hong Kong’s security chief said the city is working with Beijing to determine whether the mainland should take control of a suspected case of foreign collusion, a move that would expand China’s influence on national security-related cases in the financial hub.
Hong Kong authorities are investigating whether to invoke Article 55 of the city’s national security law, said Secretary for Security Chris Tang on a Commercial Radio program on Saturday. Article 55 outlines the circumstances under which Beijing’s Office for Safeguarding National Security can exercise jurisdiction over Hong Kong’s national security cases.
“The office will need to ascertain whether there were any situations specified under Article 55,” said Tang. “We need to understand and investigate whether these had happened.”
The Hong Kong government didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment outside of normal working hours.
If the case is turned over to Beijing, it would also mark a turning point in how the city handles national security cases. The former British colony’s independent courts and rule of law are often credited for its success as a financial capital.
Tang’s comments come in the wake of the first known joint operation carried out by Beijing’s national security office in Hong Kong and city officials.
Local authorities on Thursday night announced they were investigating a case of alleged foreign collusion with China’s Office for Safeguarding National Security. Hong Kong security officials searched the homes of six suspects, as well as the office of an organization, and seized evidence including bank documents and devices.
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