Two Sessions 2020: National People’s Congress approves resolution to impose security law on Hong Kong

Name: China’s top legislature approves national security bill for Hong Kong
Uploaded: 2020-05-28T07:15:24.000Z
Duration: 2 min 33 s
Description: China’s top legislature approves national security bill for Hong Kong

China’s top legislature defines firm role for city’s leader to educate residents on sovereignty, draws line against independence advocacy

Vote comes as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asserts Hong Kong is no longer suitably autonomous

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President Xi Jinping arrives at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Photo: AP

Tony CheungandKimmy Chung

Published: 3:15pm, 28 May 2020Updated: 1:29am, 29 May 2020

China’s top legislature on Thursday approved a resolution for a national security law tailor-made for a troubled Hong Kong, defining in its final version a firm role for the city’s leader to educate residents on sovereignty and drawing a line against independence advocacy.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor herself issued an open letter to the people of Hong Kong the same evening, urging understanding and acceptance of the reasons behind the legislation as she warned that the city had been “traumatised” by a year of violent protests, leaving it as a “gaping hole” in the country’s national security.

“Regrettably, the current legal system and enforcement mechanisms for Hong Kong to safeguard national security are inadequate or even ‘defenceless’,” she said in full-page advertisements to appear the next day in local newspapers.

The National People’s Congress’ (NPC) vote on Thursday afternoon came just hours after Beijing-Washington tensions increased as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared to Congress that Hong Kong was no longer suitably autonomous from mainland Chinese rule, a first step towards potentially downgrading its preferential trading status.

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China’s top legislature approves national security bill for Hong Kong

Pompeo’s statement sent shock waves through Hong Kong’s political circles and triggered a blame game among political rivals over which side had precipitated the latest turn of events that would hurt the city itself.

Opposition leaders attacked the NPC for pressing ahead with the legislation, saying the pro-Beijing camp had failed to persuade the central government to respect the “one country, two systems” principle, under which the city was promised a high degree of autonomy.

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