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China Passes Hong Kong Security Law

posted by martyb on Wednesday July 01 2020, @08:00AM   Printer-friendly
from the security-for-whom? dept.

takyon writes:

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.

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  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Wednesday July 01 2020, @10:50PM (1 child)

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday July 01 2020, @10:50PM (#1015180) Journal

    As I understand it, HK really doesn't have much to offer economically, except that it was a gateway to China's economy so it became a big financial and trade center.

    Which turned out to be quite a lot actually.

    So the problem is that if they just get absorbed into China, they're no longer attractive as a financial/trade hub, so the city is probably going to implode, or at least stagnate, economically.

    Why is that of value to China?

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  • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Thursday July 02 2020, @07:26PM

    by Grishnakh (2831) on Thursday July 02 2020, @07:26PM (#1015498)

    Which turned out to be quite a lot actually.

    Yes, it *was* a lot. It only worked because of HK's unique relationship with China and the fact that it wasn't actually part of China (and later, was "sorta" part of China, but not really, with an autonomous government). This move ends this. HK is now just another Chinese city, so these special features are gone, meaning HK no longer has a reason to exist.

    Why is that of value to China?

    Well, it was of value to HK and its citizens and its economy, and presumably HK did remit some kind of tax revenues to China, as well as enabling trade. I fail to see how HK was anything other than a large economic plus for China. That's all going away now.