The draft Decision makes clear that the legislation will allow mainland authorities to set up agencies in Hong Kong to “perform duties related to safeguard national security.” Yet defying logic and facts, Lam insisted, in the May 22 press conference, that “Hong Kong will remain to be a very free society, where freedom of expression, freedom of protest, freedom of journalism will stay.... because these are the core values of Hong Kong and are very much protected by the Basic Law.”