Hong Kong’s new national security law yesterday came into force, despite growing international criticism that it could erode freedoms in the China-ruled territory and damage its international financial hub credentials, as Taiwan and other countries updated their travel advisories for Hong Kong.
The law, also known as Article 23, took effect at midnight, days after the territory’s pro-Beijing lawmakers passed it unanimously, fast-tracking legislation to plug what authorities called national security loopholes.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee (李家超) said the law “accomplished a historic mission, living up to the trust placed in us by the Central [Chinese] Authorities.”
Photo: AP
The US expressed concerns that the law would further erode the territory’s autonomy and damage its reputation as an international business hub.
“It includes vaguely defined provisions regarding ‘sedition,’ ‘state secrets’ and interactions with foreign entities that could be used to curb dissent,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
Australia and the UK on Friday criticized the law after a bilateral meeting in Adelaide, expressing “deep concerns about the continuing systemic erosion of autonomy, freedoms and rights” in Hong Kong.
The UN and the EU recently noted the extremely swift passage of the law with limited public consultation, by a legislature overhauled in the past few years to remove opposition democrats.
Taiwan, Australia and the UK updated their travel advisories for Hong Kong, urging citizens to exercise caution.
“You could break the laws without intending to and be detained without charge and denied access to a lawyer,” the Australian government said.
Hong Kong authorities “strongly condemned such political maneuvers with skewed, fact-twisting, scaremongering and panic-spreading remarks.”
In a joint statement led by the overseas-based Hong Kong Democracy Council, 145 community and advocacy groups condemned the law and called for sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese officials involved its passage, as well as a review of the status of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices worldwide.
“It’s time for the United States to step up for political prisoners and freedom in Hong Kong. Every time we let authoritarians get away with atrocities, we risk other bad actors attempting to do the same,” wanted Hong Kong activist Frances Hui (許穎婷) told a news conference in Washington with the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), which advises the US Congress.
Chris Smith, a cochairman of the CECC, said the Hong Kong trade offices had “simply become outposts of the Chinese Communist Party, used to engage in transnational repression.”
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