Office for Safeguarding National Security

中華人民共和國 中央人民政府駐香港特別行政區 維護國家安全公署
Emblem of the People's Republic of China
Agency overview
Formed	1 July 2020 (2020-07-01)
Jurisdiction	Central People's Government (State Council)
Headquarters	Metropark Hotel, 148 Tung Lo Wan Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong (Temporary)[1] Island Pacific Hotel, 152 Connaught Road West, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong (Temporary) 15 Hoi Fan Road, Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong (Permanent, Planning)
Agency executives	Dong Jingwei, Director Li Jiangzhou, Deputy Sun Qingye, Deputy
Parent department	Central National Security Commission of the Chinese Communist Party
Parent organization	State Council of the People's Republic of China Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party
Child agency	Hong Kong Police National Security Department
Website	osns.gov.cn

Politics and government of Hong Kong

Laws Basic Law Drafting Committee Consultative Committee Article 23 National security law Article 45 Article 46 Article 69 One country, two systems Sino–British Joint Declaration Criminal law Capital punishment in Hong Kong Criminal procedure Jury system Law enforcement in Hong Kong Human rights LGBT rights in Hong Kong Internet censorship in Hong Kong

Executive Chief Executive: John Lee Office of the Chief Executive Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the HKSAR Principal officials Chief Secretary: Eric Chan Financial Secretary: Paul Chan Secretary for Justice: Paul Lam Executive Council Convenor: Regina Ip Government Secretariat and Government agencies Civil Service Bureau Joint Secretariat for the Advisory Bodies on Civil Service and Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau Registration and Electoral Office Offices in the Mainland and Taiwan Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau Leisure and Cultural Services Department Tourism Commission Education Bureau University Grants Committee Secretariat Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency Environment and Ecology Bureau Environmental Protection Department Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Hong Kong Observatory Government Laboratory Health Bureau Department of Health Home and Youth Affairs Bureau Home Affairs Department Information Services Department Labour and Welfare Bureau Social Welfare Department Security Bureau Hong Kong Police Force Hong Kong Fire Services Department Hong Kong Correctional Services Customs and Excise Department Immigration Department Government Flying Service Civil Aid Service Auxiliary Medical Service Transport and Logistics Bureau Transport Department Civil Aviation Department Highways Department Marine Department Housing Bureau Housing Department Commerce and Economic Development Bureau Intellectual Property Department Invest Hong Kong Office of the Communications Authority Post Office Trade and Industry Department Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (Overseas) Radio Television Hong Kong Development Bureau Architectural Services Department Buildings Department Civil Engineering and Development Department Drainage Services Department Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Lands Department Land Registry Planning Department Water Supplies Department Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau Census and Statistics Department Companies Registry Government Logistics Department Government Property Agency Inland Revenue Department Official Receiver's Office Rating and Valuation Department Treasury Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau Efficiency Office Office of the Government Chief Information Officer Innovation and Technology Commission Hong Kong Civil Service Administrative Officer Political Appointments System

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The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (OSNS^[2]) is the Chinese central government's national security office in Hong Kong.^[3] The office was established in July 2020 by the Hong Kong national security law.^[4]

The office is headed by director Zheng Yanxiong^[5] and is entirely staffed by mainland officials.^[6] The office is a part of, and funded by, the Central People's Government (State Council) of China^[7] and is not subject to Hong Kong jurisdiction.^[4][8] It is officially under the list of agencies that are dispatched by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.^[9]

History

The OSNS was established on 1 July 2020, as a result of the promulgation of the Hong Kong national security law. The law was, in contrast with the regular legislative process of the region, not passed by the local Legislative Council, but by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in Beijing. On 3 July 2020, the State Council appointed Zheng Yanxiong as director of the organisation,^[5] and Li Jiangzhou and Sun Qingye as deputy heads.^[10]

The first Office director, Zheng Yanxiong, was sanctioned by the United States Treasury in August 2020 pursuant to the Normalization Executive Order (Executive Order 13936). The order, which had been issued by US President Donald Trump on 14 July, had been a response to the imposition of the national security law.^[11][12] Deputy director Li Jiangzhou was sanctioned by the US on 9 November.^[13] Deputy director Sun Qingye was sanctioned by the US on 15 January 2021.^[14]

Following the arrest of 53 pro-democracy figures in January 2021, the Office expressed support for the operation and singled out Benny Tai.^{[15][clarification needed]}

In February 2021, Zheng Zehui and Deng Jianwei were added to the office as bureau chiefs.^[16] In July 2023, Dong Jingwei was appointed to head the OSNS.^[17]

Headquarters

On 7 July 2020, the location of the OSNS temporary headquarters was announced. The Office, together with its employees' living quarters, is located in the Metropark Hotel Causeway Bay building. The hotel replaced by the OSNS was owned by China Travel Service (a tourism agency previously accused of assisting Chinese authorities in doxing local pro-democracy journalists and activists).^[18] After the office opened on 8 July 2020,^[1] the building's floor plans were removed from publicly accessible records.^[19]

On April 19, 2021, the Office announced that it was taking over the Island Pacific Hotel in Sai Ying Pun as an additional work site.^[20]

On April 23, 2021, it was announced that a new building for the office's use will be constructed at Tai Kok Tsui at a cost of HKD$8 million.^[21] The future site is around 11,500 square metres (124,000 sq ft) and is classified within areas zoned "Government, Institution or Community" on the South West Kowloon Outline Zoning Plan.^[22]

In November 2022, the OSNS bought a 7,171 sqft 5-bedroom mansion in Beacon Hill for HK$508 million.^[23]

Legal authority

For the office to be allowed to exercise its jurisdiction on a case, either the office itself or the Government of Hong Kong needs to request approval from the Central People's Government (CPG).^[24][25] Statutorily, the office is only to be granted jurisdiction in cases of complexity due to the presence of foreign or external elements, inability of the regional government to enforce the law, or a major and imminent threat to national security.^[25] However, the structuring of the approval process effectively means that the CPG can, since it also administers the OSNS, grant its organ jurisdiction at its own discretion, without legal interference from Hong Kong regional authorities.^[24][26] The Hong Kong Secretary for Justice has stated that a suspect's right to engage a lawyer registered to practice in Hong Kong, but not in mainland China, will be determined through the application of mainland law.^[27]

When the OSNS has been granted jurisdiction to investigate a case, the Supreme People's Procuratorate decides which body prosecutes the case, and the Supreme People's Court decides which court is to adjudicate it.^[28] In these cases, procedural matters are governed by PRC law, including the Criminal Procedure Law.^[29] This leads to a lack of judicial independence, the absence of the right to remain silent, the possibility of incommunicado detention, and significant restriction of the right to counsel.^[24]

Immunity

The office and its staff are not subject to Hong Kong jurisdiction.^[4][8] Furthermore, on-duty holders of identification or certification documents issued by the office are immune from inspection, search, and detention by Hong Kong law enforcement officers.^[30]