Edward Liu is qualified as a solicitor of England & Wales as well as a lawyer of the People’s Republic of China. He is also a registered foreign lawyer practising in Hong Kong.
As China emphasises higher-quality development, its needs will mesh neatly with areas in which Hong Kong has established advantages. Maintaining its unique nature will ensure Hong Kong is not replaced by mainland cities and that ‘one country, two systems’ will live on.
Attacks over the new security law are starting to target Hong Kong’s legal industry, challenging Hong Kong’s place as a seat of international arbitration. However, Singapore’s example shows a strict legal code to uphold national security and robust courts that respect the rule of law are not mutually exclusive.
While any suggestion that Hong Kong’s political system lacks separation of powers raises anxieties about the independence of the judiciary, the latter is explicitly provided for in the Basic Law along with other checks and balances.