HONG KONG: China’s parliament has endorsed the national security legislation for Hong Kong. With this, it has set the stage for radical changes to Hong Kong’s way of life since it returned to Chinese regime some 23 years ago.
The country’s state media is expected to publish details of the law that has come in response to violent pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
The law is also aimed at tackling terrorism, subversion, separatism and collusion with foreign forces, international media reports have said.
According to Reuters, prominent pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong said he would quit his Demosisto group amid fears that the legislation will crush Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms.
Wong wrote on Twitter: “It marks the end of Hong Kong that the world knew before.”
The legislation also pushes China further along a collision course with the United States, Britain as well as other Western governments, which have said it erodes the high degree of autonomy the city was granted at its July 1, 1997, handover, Reuters has said.
Speaking at her regular weekly news conference, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said that it would not be appropriate for her to comment on the legislation as the meeting in Beijing was going on.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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