HONG KONG (Reuters) – China’s foreign ministry workplace in Hong Kong and the city’s security chief on Monday defended suggested nationwide security laws by describing some acts in mass pro-democracy protests in 2015 as terrorism.
Several government departments released declarations in defence of the proposal after the biggest protest in the city considering that the coronavirus lockdown on Sunday.
The security legislation, some details of which were revealed last week, aims to deal with secession, subversion and terrorist activities and could see Chinese intelligence companies established bases in semi-autonomous Hong Kong, one of the world’s leading monetary centers.
Pro-democracy activists and political leaders say the legislation could deteriorate Hong Kong’s flexibilities, ensured under the “one nation, 2 systems” agreement under which former colonial power Britain returned the area to China in1997
At a rundown for diplomats, foreign organisation chambers and reporters, China’s Foreign Commissioner in Hong Kong, Xie Feng, said the laws would just target a minority of “mischief-makers” who had actually posed “imminent risk” to China’s nationwide security.
” The legislation will relieve the grave concerns among regional and foreign company communities about the violent and terrorist forces,” Xie stated.
He declined to clarify specifics of the proposed laws that have stired issues, consisting of when the full legislation would be enacted, what specific acts wou