China approves controversial Hong Kong national security law

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UPI

Darryl Coote

May 28 2020

May 28 (UPI) -- China's legislature on Thursday approved a highly controversial national security law that critics say will deteriorate the rights and freedoms of the semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong.

China's rubber-stamp National People's Congress passed the resolution with a near-unanimous 2,878 votes to criminalize acts of secession, sedition, subversion, terrorism and conspiring with foreign actors to threaten national security in Hong Kong. Only one lawmaker voted against the bill while six abstained.

The decision is expected to attract widespread international condemnation and spur further protests throughout Hong Kong, which has been rocked since last June by pro-democracy demonstrations that have often turned into violent clashes with the police.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced hours prior to the vote that Hong Kong's autonomy from China had deteriorated to the point it no longer warranted special trade treatment under U.S. law.

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