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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: 3, Informative) by takyon on Thursday July 02 2020, @02:14AM (1 child)

    by takyon (881) <takyonNO@SPAMsoylentnews.org> on Thursday July 02 2020, @02:14AM (#1015245) Journal

    https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/01/chinas-national-security-law-hong-kong-global-financial-center.html [cnbc.com]

    Some analysts say Beijing needed a quick fix to repair its image at home. Getting Hong Kong to fall in line is a hugely popular mission among the general population — one that could help distract from other problems.

    Perhaps the biggest factor at play is that China just doesn't need Hong Kong nearly as much as it used to.

    In the 1990s, Hong Kong accounted for 27% of the Chinese economy. Now, it represents less than 3%.

    China's megacities like Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Guangzhou have seen explosive growth since the '90s [mdpi.com]. Instead of having one hub city attracting foreign investment and workers, China now has several, and without the red tape that comes with Hong Kong's special status.

    That means the Chinese government has fewer and fewer incentives to keep Hong Kong happy and economically independent.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 04 2020, @08:52PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 04 2020, @08:52PM (#1016239)
    Yeah, China doesn't need Hong Kong. At best they can be used (with propaganda etc) as an example to the rest of China on what happens when you give people "too much freedom".

    The problem for Hong Kong is many of their low end workers aren't good in either Mandarin or English. Their mother tongue is Cantonese.

    At high end they have some foreign "expats" or tycoons. At the mid end, they have competition from Singaporeans and other overseas Chinese who have better command of Mandarin and/or English.
    At lower end they have competition from the cheaper workers in China.

    Their "value add" is dropping. And their livelihoods and lifestyles along with it. So the HK protests might be fueled partly by such embers.