【明報專訊】THE outline of the impending national security law for Hong Kong has come to light for the first time, sparking much discussion among different circles in the city. The arrangements that allow the Chief Executive to designate a pool of judges to hear national security cases and reserve the central government's right to exercise its jurisdiction in "special circumstances" over a very small number of cases that involve jeopardising national security have, in particular, concerned the legal sector. Although the details of the law's provisions have yet to be deliberated and decided, to a certain extent the content of its draft reflects a change in Beijing's way of thinking about Hong Kong. If it can be said that Beijing gave Hong Kong a free hand in handling its problems with a "high level of trust" in the past, now it has obviously become warier and more vigilant. Whether Beijing's diminishing trust in Hong Kong will manifest itself in areas other than national security remains to be observed. In order to improve mutual trust fundamentally, the mainland and Hong Kong need to revive positive interactions step by step.