HONG KONG - The Legislative Council (LegCo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) finished the first reading of the National Anthem Bill submitted by the HKSAR government on Wednesday, and has entered the second reading.

Patrick Nip, secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs of the HKSAR government, hoped that the LegCo could pass the bill as soon as possible so that the HKSAR could implement the National Anthem Law and fulfill its responsibility of this national law.

The legislative principle of the bill is to fully reflect the purpose and intent of the National Anthem Law, which is to preserve the dignity of the national anthem and promote respect for the national anthem, and at the same time to give due regard to the common law system practised in Hong Kong as well as the actual circumstances in Hong Kong.

Once passed, anyone who disrespects the national anthem would be punished with a jail term of up to three years and a fine of HK$50,000 (about $6,373).

China's top legislature on Nov 4, 2017 adopted decisions to apply the National Anthem Law in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.