Campaigners mourned ‘the end of Hong Kong as we know it’ today after China passed a sweeping new national security law which critics say will smother the city’s freedoms.
The legislation was unanimously approved by China’s rubber-stamp parliament, little more than six weeks after it was first unveiled.
Though the wording of the law has been kept secret, it is thought to criminalise any act of secession, subversion, terrorism or collusion with foreign forces.
It will also allow China’s feared security agencies to set up shop publicly in Hong Kong for the first time.
‘It marks the end of Hong Kong that the world knew before,’ said figurehead campaigner Joshua Wong, as he quit the pro-democracy Demosisto party he founded amid fears of reprisals.
‘With sweeping powers and ill-defined law, the city will turn into a secret police state. Hong Kong protesters now face high possibilities of being extradited to China’s courts for trials and life sentences,’ he added.
Pro-Beijing supporters wave Chinese and Hong Kong flags and drink champagne today as they celebrate a controversial new security law
China promised the city 50 years of freedoms when it was handed over from British rule in 1997, but the UK, US, European Union and UN have all voiced fears that the new law will be used to stifle criticism of Beijing.
The law was approved in Beijing in order to side-step Hong Kong’s parliament, with no announcement made by the Chinese Communist Party.
Instead the news filtered out via pro-Beijing politicians and local media outlets.
At her weekly press conference on Tuesday morning, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam – a pro-Beijing appointee – declined to comment on what the law contained.
Speaking about the law back in May, Lam insisted there is ‘no need to worry’ and that ‘the core values in terms of the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary, the various rights and freedoms enjoyed by people, will continue to be there.’
Claudia Mo, an opposition lawmaker, said today: ‘The fact that Hong Kong people will only come to know what’s really in this new law after the fact is more than preposterous.’
Hong Kong was guaranteed certain freedoms – as well as judicial and legislative autonomy – in 1997 in a deal known as ‘One Country, Two Systems’.
It formed the bedrock of the city’s transformation into a world-class business hub, bolstered by a reliable judiciary and political freedoms unseen on the mainland.
Critics have long accused Beijing of chipping away at that status, but they describe the security law as the most brazen move yet.
A summary of the law published by the official state agency Xinhua this month said China’s secret police would be able to set up shop publicly in the city for the first time.
Beijing has also said it will have jurisdiction over some cases, toppling the legal firewall that has existed between Hong Kong and the mainland’s party-controlled courts since the 1997 handover.
Analysts said the security law radically restructures the relationship between Beijing and Hong Kong.
‘It’s a fundamental change that dramatically undermines both the local and international community’s confidence towards Hong Kong’s One Country, Two Systems model and its status as a robust financial centre,’ Hong Kong political analyst Dixon Sing said.
Human rights groups have warned the law could target opposition politicians seen as insufficiently loyal to Beijing for arrest or disqualification.
On the mainland, national security laws are routinely used to jail critics, especially for the vague offence of ‘subversion’.
At her weekly press conference on Tuesday morning, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam (pictured) – a pro-Beijing appointee – declined to comment on what the law contained
A pro-China supporter takes a selfie at a rally in Hong Kong today as news filtered out that the new security law had been passed
Hong Kong police detain a pro-democracy protester during demonstrations in May
Beijing and the Hong Kong government both insist that the laws will only target a minority of people and will not harm political freedoms in the city.
They also say the measure will restore business confidence after a year of historic pro-democracy protests.
On Tuesday, four young democracy campaigners, including Joshua Wong, said they were stepping down from the party they founded while a small pro-independence group said it was disbanding.
Millions took to the streets last year while a smaller hardcore of protesters frequently battled police in violent confrontations that saw more than 9,000 arrested.
Hong Kong banned protests in recent months, citing previous unrest and the coronavirus pandemic, although local transmissions have ended.
Some Western nations warned of potential repercussions for Beijing ahead of the security law’s passing.
However, many are wary of incurring Beijing’s wrath and losing lucrative access to the mainland’s huge economy.
Pro-democracy campaigner Joshua Wong (pictured) said that ‘sweeping powers and ill-defined law’ would make Hong Kong into a ‘secret police state’
Taiwan, which has said it is willing to help Hong Kongers relocate to the island, was one of the first governments to react.
‘The government condemns this move that seriously affects freedom, human rights and stable development in Hong Kong society,’ the cabinet said in a statement.
Washington – which has embarked on a trade war with China – has said the security law means Hong Kong no longer enjoys sufficient autonomy from the mainland to justify special status.
In a largely symbolic move, the United States on Monday ended sensitive defence exports to Hong Kong over the law.
‘The United States is forced to take this action to protect US national security,’ Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
‘We can no longer distinguish between the export of controlled items to Hong Kong or to mainland China. We cannot risk these items falling into the hands of the People’s Liberation Army, whose primary purpose is to uphold the dictatorship of the (ruling Communist Party) by any means necessary.’
Britain had said it was willing to provide a ‘pathway to citizenship’ for millions of Hong Kongers if the security law went ahead.
US leads global backlash against China’s new security law
The United States has ended sensitive defense exports to Hong Kong, saying it could ‘no longer distinguish’ between the territory and mainland China.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US cannot risk items such as weapons and ammunition being given to the People’s Liberation Army.
The State Department last year approved $2.4million in defense sales to Hong Kong, of which $1.4million worth were actually sent.
Mike Pompeo has announced the US will no longer send sensitive military equipment to Hong Kong because it ‘cannot distinguish’ between the territory and mainland China
The Commerce Department simultaneously said it was revoking its special status for Hong Kong.
It will now treat the region the same as China for ‘dual-use exports’ that have both military and civilian applications, meaning they will be highly restricted.
‘It gives us no pleasure to take this action, which is a direct consequence of Beijing’s decision to violate its own commitments under the UN-registered Sino-British Joint Declaration,’ Pompeo said.
Beijing on Tuesday threatened retaliation against the United States over the sanctions.
Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, warned that China ‘is not afraid of threats’ from America.
He claimed that ‘the plot’ from the U.S. ‘will never succeed’ and urged the Trump administration to stop meddling in its domestic affairs.
‘In response to the erroneous actions from the U.S. side, the Chinese side will take necessary countermeasures and resolutely maintain its national interests,’ Mr Zhao said.
President Donald Trump’s administration has already declared that Hong Kong is no longer autonomous in US eyes and has been rolling out a series of measures in response.
On Friday, the State Department said it was restricting visas for an unspecified number of Chinese officials seen as responsible for infringing on the autonomy of the Asian financial hub.
In response, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Monday that the US ‘scheme… to obstruct the passage of the Hong Kong national security law will never prevail.’
‘To target the US’s above wrongful actions, China has decided to impose visa restrictions against American individuals who have behaved egregiously on matters concerning Hong Kong,’ Zhao said.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson previously said a ‘path to citizenship’ will be offered to 3million citizens of Hong Kong if the security law passes
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also vowed to offer a ‘path to citizenship’ for 3million residents of Hong Kong who wish to leave the territory after the law passes.
‘Many people in Hong Kong fear their way of life, which China pledged to uphold, is under threat,’ he said before the law passed.
‘If China proceeds to justify their fears, then Britain could not in good conscience shrug our shoulders and walk away; instead we will honour our obligations and provide an alternative.’
The European Union and the United Nations rights watchdog have also criticised China over the law.
Last week, the US Senate unanimously approved a bill that would impose mandatory economic sanctions against Chinese officials, Hong Kong police – and banks that work with them – if they are identified as hurting the city’s autonomous status.
Zhao, the foreign ministry spokesman, warned that the US ‘should not review, advance or implement relevant negative bills concerning Hong Kong, even less impose so-called sanctions on China, otherwise China will firmly take strong countermeasures.’
Hong Kong was upended by seven straight months of protests last year, initially sparked by an eventually abandoned plan to allow extraditions to the mainland.
But they soon morphed into a popular revolt against Beijing’s rule and widespread calls for democracy.