China adopted the law on national security in Hong Kong, which limits its autonomy

30 June pconstant Committee of all-China Assembly of people’s representatives adopted the law on the protection of national security in Hong Kong, reported the Agency Xinhua.

Chinese MPs launched the development of the bill, which restricts the autonomy of Hong Kong, may 28. A few hours before the vote, U.S. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo said that Hong Kong no longer has an Autonomous status.

The law was passed unanimously. According to the newspaper South China Morning Post, considering it took 15 minutes. Chinese President XI Jinping signed it the same day, and at 23.00 local time (18.00 CET) it came into force.

The document gives Beijing more powers to combat separatism, subversive activities, terrorism and collusion with the use of foreign influence in the autonomy. According to the law, Hong Kong will be a separate Department that will focus on ensuring national security, it will directly obey the Chinese authorities. Now, persons accused of crimes in the sphere of national security can be sentenced to life imprisonment.

Chapter loyal to Beijing’s administration of Hong Kong Carrie Lam welcomed the adoption of the law. In her statement, she notedthat the law is necessary “in view of the increasingly apparent threats to national security faced by Hong Kong”. According to Carrie Lam, the law is directed against a small number of offenders, while fundamental rights and freedoms of the vast majority of residents will be protected.

To the last text of the act were not published and Hong Kong people were not aware of what changes are waiting for them, wrote in a column for the”German wave” democratic activist from Hong Kong Nathan Lowe.

“All Hong Kongers now must ask ourselves, will they continue to enjoy freedom of expression. For political activists, such as myself, appear absolutely specific questions: when our doors, knock on the new secret police, hosted in Hong Kong at the behest of Beijing, and take us into custody?” he said.

Critics in Hong Kong condemned the act, believing that it would undermine the principle of “one country, two systems” and will destroy the status of Hong Kong as a global financial centre. In Beijing, said that he decided to adopt the law “after prolonged social instability and the escalation of street violence that plunged Hong Kong into a difficult situation upon its return to the Motherland in 1997”.

Hong Kong – a separate administrative region within China. Britain handed control of Hong Kong to China in 1997. According to the Sino-British joint Declaration and the basic law of Hong Kong, the territory granted broad autonomy until 2047 under the formula “one country, two systems”. It guarantees freedoms that are not enjoyed in China.

In the summer of 2019 in Hong Kong began anti-government protests in connection with the intention to pass a law that would allow extradition at the request of Chinese authorities. This document was revoked, but the protests continued. Their participants demanded to reduce the influence of mainland China on the city politics, early election, investigate the actions of police and an Amnesty for detained demonstrators. The epidemic of coronavirus suspended action, but at the end of April they resumed.