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The Western world, including the United States, has expressed concern over Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (parliament) passing the “Hong Kong version of the National Security Law,” which could impose up to life imprisonment for treason and insurrection.
According to the South China Morning Post, Vedant Patel, a Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, criticized Article 23 of the Basic Law passed on the 19th (local time) by Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, saying “the bill was fast-tracked through the undemocratically elected Legislative Council with a severely truncated public consultation period.” He also said, “The bill uses language like ‘foreign interference,’ which is incredibly vague. We are examining whether there is a potential threat to American citizens and U.S. national interests.”
The United Kingdom also pointed out the ambiguity of the terms used in the bill. In an official statement, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs David Cameron said, “Broad definitions of national security and foreign interference will make life more difficult for people living, working, and doing business in Hong Kong.” He continued, “The bill does not guarantee certainty to international organizations, including diplomatic missions operating there,” and expressed concern that “it will perpetuate the self-censoring culture that dominates the political and social environment in Hong Kong and continue to infringe upon the freedom of the press and assembly.”
The Hong Kong Legislative Council unanimously passed the “Safeguarding National Security Bill,” legislating the Hong Kong version of the National Security Law, Article 23 of the Basic Law. The law includes punishments for 39 security crimes, such as treason, national division, terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign forces. The definition of foreign forces broadly includes foreign governments and parties, international organizations, and companies obligated to act according to the wishes of a foreign government. China enacted the Hong Kong version of the National Security Law in response to the large-scale anti-government protests in Hong Kong in 2019. This new National Security Law is Hong Kong’s supplement to the law enacted in 2020.
The disconnect between the Western world and increasingly Sinicized Hong Kong is expected to accelerate. Last November, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee passed a bill to abolish the privileges and immunities granted to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in November of last year. The three HKETO offices in Washington D.C., New York, and San Francisco have enjoyed privileges similar to international organizations, including the right not to be searched and confiscated or seized property and certain tax benefits. Meanwhile, the special status of Hong Kong, which former U.S. President Donald Trump revoked through an administrative order in 2020, continues to be extended to the Biden administration.
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