World powers criticise China over Hong Kong security law
Beijing has breached 1984 Sino-British pact on autonomy, they say
The US, UK, Australia and Canada slammed China yesterday for imposing a new security law in Hong Kong that they said would breach a 1984 Sino-British agreement on the autonomy of the former colony.
China’s parliament approved a decision to go forward with national security legislation for Hong Kong that activists say will erode freedoms and jeopardise its role as a global financial hub.
The new legislation would “curtail the Hong Kong people’s liberties, and in doing so, dramatically erode Hong Kong’s autonomy and the system that made it so prosperous”, the four countries said.
China says the legislation aims to tackle secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign interference.
China officially has the broad power to tackle unrest in Hong Kong, as the country’s legislature yesterday nearly unanimously approved a plan to handle subversion, secession, terrorism and any acts that might threaten national security in the semi-autonomous city. As Beijing hashes out the specifics of the national security legislation in the coming weeks, the final rules will help determine the fate of Hong Kong, including how much of the city’s autonomy will be preserved or how much Beijing will tighten its grip.
Why is there so much concern about the law?
The proposal the Chinese state Congress approved is really a guideline for future steps. It tasks the legislature’s Standing Committee with developing specific laws at future meetings. Two items in the seven-article draft are getting particular attention. One is the possible deployment of state security. The other is the bypassing of Hong Kong’s legislature by crafting and approving the laws in Beijing. The Hong Kong government is required to enact national security legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law, its constitution, but has been unable or unwilling to do so because of opposition. An attempt in 2003 was abandoned in the face of huge protests.
What are the provisions of the new law?
The devil is in the details. And they haven’t come out yet. “There are still a lot of important questions we have, which have not been answered,” said Joseph Cheng, a political scientist in Hong Kong. Members of China’s National People’s Congress, in the Great Hall of the People to the west of Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, burst into prolonged applause when the vote tally showed 2,878 to one in favour of the decision to move forward with legislation, with six abstentions.
What’s likely to be the immediate impact?
Early signals from Chinese authorities point to activist groups being banned. Courts could impose long jail sentences for national security violations. China’s security agencies could operate openly in the city. Even Hong Kong’s chief executive this week appeared to hint that certain civil liberties might not be an enduring feature of Hong Kong life. “We are a very free society, so for the time being, people have the freedom to say whatever they want to say,” said Carrie Lam. But after the law was passed yesterday, she said: “The law will not affect the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents.”
Would Chinese police be able to arrest people in Hong Kong?
“This may be worrisome. It depends on what the bill says about what powers these people have,” said Albert Chen, a constitutional law scholar at Hong Kong University. “If these people have powers of arrest, I think people would find it very difficult to accept that,” he said. Details may emerge at upcoming committee meetings in late June and late August.
So what happens to One country, Two systems?
“One country, Two systems” is not about to disappear. Hong Kong will continue to manage most of its local affairs, from taxation to common crime. But Beijing is poised to wield an increasingly heavier hand when it comes to dissent and any possible challenges to its ultimate control of Hong Kong.
What has been the global reaction?
The UK, US, Australia and Canada yesterday voiced their concerns over the security law that they said would breach a 1984 Sino-British agreement on the autonomy of the former colony.
“Hong Kong has flourished as a bastion of freedom,” the countries said in a joint statement, adding that the law would “curtail the Hong Kong people’s liberties, and in doing so, dramatically erode Hong Kong’s autonomy and the system that made it so prosperous.” Japan also said it was “seriously concerned” about the move, and called Hong Kong an “extremely important partner”.