Disputed anthem bill given priority

HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s government will give “priority” to a contentious bill that seeks to criminalize abuse of the Chinese national anthem, the city’s leader said Tuesday, days after a proBeijing lawmaker wrested control over a key committee that vets bills.

The proposed law is aimed at ensuring that residents of Hong Kong, a semiautonomous Chinese territory, respect China’s national anthem. Under the bill, those who use the anthem for commercial purposes, or publicly and intentionally insult the anthem, such as booing it during soccer games, could face fines of up to $6,450 and up to three years in prison.

The move comes as differences between the proBeijing and prodemocracy camps in Hong Kong were sharpened during monthslong protests last year that were sparked by an attempt to pass a bill that would have allowed suspects to be extradited to mainland China to face trials. That bill was eventually withdrawn.

The anthem bill was first proposed in January last year, after Hong Kong spectators jeered at the Chinese national anthem during several highprofile international soccer matches in 2015. AntiChina sentiment has been on the rise in Hong Kong since 2014 protests that stemmed from the Chinese government’s decision to prescreen candidates for the city’s leadership position.

Beijing’s move was seen as a restriction on democracy in Hong Kong, and a violation of the “one country, two systems” framework that it was given when the former British colony was handed back to China in 1997.