¡¡¡¡HONG KONG, June 23 (Xinhuanet) -- The Hong Kong government expressed Monday happiness after Canadian Consulate General said that Canada agreed that implementation of Article 23 of the Basic Law was considered consistent with international practice.

¡¡¡¡In response to a statement issued by the Canadian Consulate General in Hong Kong, a spokesman said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government was happy to note that Canada agreed that implementation of Article 23 of the Basic Law requiredlegislation and recognized that in many areas the proposals were consistent with international practice in other jurisdictions including Canada.

¡¡¡¡The spokesman also noted that Canada welcomed changes to provisions on sedition; to the extra-territorial scope of some offenses, particularly treason; and the removal of references to the threat of force from the secession and sedition offenses.

¡¡¡¡He reiterated that the National Security (Legislative Provisions) Bill was in full accord with the "One Country, Two Systems" principle and international human rights standards.

¡¡¡¡"The power of proscription will be exercised in accordance withHong Kong laws. All proscription decisions are appealable in the courts of Hong Kong," he was quoted by a government gazette released on Monday as saying. Enditem