Safeguarding national security is the most important value for Hong Kong’s 175,000 civil servants and the framework guiding their work, the Secretary for Civil Service Ingrid Yeung has said.
Yeung’s remarks came after the government introduced a new version of civil service code in early June, adding six new core values that civil servants must uphold, including “upholding the constitutional order and national security” in first position.
Yeung said in an interview with government-backed broadcaster RTHK on Monday that while all 12 core values matter, the first was the most important one.
“As constitutional order and national security, which are based on China’s Constitution and the Basic Law, provide a framework for our work. We need to understand the foundation of our job in order to do it better, ” Yeung said in Cantonese.
“Civil service is not simply a job or a means to achieve personal accomplishments or to earn a salary. It’s a mission. Civil servants have their constitutional roles to fulfil.”
In a separate interview with the South China Morning Post published on Monday, Yeung said the government would monitor how civil servants safeguarded national security while evaluating their performance.
Before the amendment, civil service code stipulated six core values that any civil servant should uphold, including commitment to the rule of law, honesty and integrity, objectivity and impartiality, political neutrality, accountability for decisions and actions, and dedication, professionalism and diligence.
In addition to making safeguarding national security a core value, the new civil service code also added values such as being people-oriented and outcome focused, having a passion for public services, and team spirit.
Objectivity and impartiality were omitted as core values.
‘Political neutrality’
While political neutrality, a controversial value for Hong Kong’s civil servants, remains in the new code, a new interpretation has been added.
“Political neutrality on the part of civil servants is premised on their being loyal to the country and [Hong Kong]. All civil servants should serve the [chief executive] and the Government of the day with total loyalty and to the best of their ability,” the new code reads. “They should be wary of and alert to misinterpretation of the meaning of ‘political neutrality’ by some people in the past,” it continues.
The new code also states that civil servants “cannot criticise” any government policies, including online or on social media or by other, new means. Neither can they support any “opposing views of any other party.”
“They must proactively identify themselves as part of the executive authorities and should never undermine the trust of the… Government among members of the public,” the new code reads.
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