‘DEATH KNELL FOR HONG KONG’
Outrage over China’s security law
Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia condemned China on Thursday for imposing a new security law on Hong Kong that will criminalize acts such as protesting and criticizing Beijing.
“Hong Kong has flourished as a bastion of freedom,” the four countries said in a joint statement expressing their deep concern over Beijing’s move.
The security 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,” they said.
China’s parliament on Thursday approved a decision to go forward with national security legislation for Hong Kong. China says the legislation will aim to tackle secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign interference in the city but the plan, unveiled in Beijing last week, triggered the first big protests in Hong Kong for months.
Riot police were out in force in Hong Kong as its lawmakers debated another piece of legislation, a bill to criminalize disrespect of China’s national anthem.
“This is the death knell for Hong Kong, make no mistake of it, this is the end of ‘one country, two systems’ ... the Hong Kong that we loved, a free Hong Kong,” pro-democracy lawmaker Dennis Kwok told reporters in Hong Kong.
Dozens of protesters gathered in a shopping mall to chant slogans but there was no repeat of disturbances the previous day when police made 360 arrests as thousands took to the streets in anger over the anthem bill and the national security legislation.
Last year, the city was rocked for months by often violent pro-democracy demonstrations over an unsuccessful bid to introduce a law governing extradition to China.
The Chinese government’s security law for the city is fuelling fear in Hong Kong and beyond that Beijing is imposing its authority and eroding the high degree of autonomy the former British colony has enjoyed under a “one country, two systems” formula since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
Members of China’s mostly rubber-stamp parliament, the 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 tally showed 2,878 votes to one in favour of moving forward with legislation, with six abstentions.
THIS is the death KNELL for Hong Kong, make no mistake of it
Details of the law are expected to be drawn up in coming weeks. It is expected to be enacted before September.
Chinese authorities and the Beijing-backed government in Hong Kong say there is no threat to the city’s autonomy and the new law would be tightly focused.
China’s Premier Li Keqiang said the law would be good for Hong Kong’s longterm stability and prosperity and the “one country, two systems” formula would remain a national policy.
Conflict between China and the United States would harm both sides while both stand to gain from co-operation, he told a news conference.
Hong Kong’s Beijing-backed leader Carrie Lam said her government would work with Beijing to complete the legislative work as soon as possible.
“The law will not affect the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents,” she said in a statement welcoming the Chinese parliament’s vote.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said he will give a news conference on China on Friday. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Congress on Wednesday that China has undermined Hong Kong’s autonomy so fundamentally that the Asian financial centre
LAW WILL NOT AFFECT THE RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS ENJOYED BY HONG KONG RESIDENTS.
no longer qualifies for its special status under U.S. law.
Trump could take a variety of punishing measures, including imposing tariffs, limiting visas and other economic penalties.
Hong Kong’s autonomy was guaranteed under the “one country, two systems” agreement enshrined in the 1984 Sino-british Joint Declaration signed by then Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
The United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Canada said the new legislation would directly conflict with its obligations under the handover agreement.
“We urge China to step back from the brink,” British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said.
Raab said that unless China suspended the law, Britain would change the status of British national overseas (BNO) passport holders so that they could come to the United Kingdom for longer than six months — a pathway to eventual citizenship.