China Enacts Security Law, Asserting Control Over Hong Kong
Beijing's top legislative body has unanimously passed a sweeping national security law for Hong Kong, a controversial move that could effectively criminalize most dissent in the city and risks widening the rift between China and western countries who have criticized the law.
The news was first reported by local Hong Kong media: cable televsion station NOWNews; the city's public broadcaster; and a slew of newspapers, including Wei Wen Po and Ta Kung Pao, two pro-Beijing outlets which often signal official Chinese policy.
Hours later, the official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported President Xi Jinping had already signed the measure into law. Xinhua said it will be incorporated into Hong Kong's Basic Law, the city's mini-constitution, and become effective Wednesday, the anniversary of Hong Kong's 1997 handover from British to Chinese Rule.
Hong Kong security law: Anger as China's Xi signs legislation
One key pro-democracy group said it was now ceasing all operations. Demosisto announced the move on Facebook after Joshua Wong, one of Hong Kong's most prominent activists, said he was leaving the group, which he had spearheaded.
[...] Demosisto said several members had asked to be delisted and it had decided to "dissolve and stop all meetings". It said that the fight against "totalitarian oppression" would have to continue in a "more flexible manner". Joshua Wong said the law marked "the end of Hong Kong that the world knew before".
Also at NYT, Reuters, and Hong Kong Free Press.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Thexalon on Wednesday July 01 2020, @06:47PM
When they stop being key to the supply chains of most major Western corporations, and when they stop being key to the value of the US dollar. China's main defense has nothing to do with the military, and everything to do with how they could seriously screw up the US and EU economies any time they want to.
As for your wartime alliances, I don't see them shaking out the way you do, at least for the near future, for the simple reason that the US has for the last few years aligned itself diplomatically more with Russia and China and North Korea than with the EU and UK / Commonwealth.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.