Britain is getting tougher on China, as a cross-party consensus builds in U.K. politics and officials raise concerns about Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and other issues. However, Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he wants “balance” and continued engagement with China.
Following Canada’s lead, Australia suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong, citing a “fundamental change of circumstances” with the new national security law. Australia also offered extended visas to nearly 14,000 Hongkongers.
From books to online posts, the Hong Kong government is cracking down on any information perceived to threaten national security after a new law was imposed by Beijing. Police are claiming powers to decrypt and censor online messages, and technology companies, including Facebook and Twitter, are refusing to comply.
The government of Hong Kong has essentially banned a protest slogan because it carries “secessionist intent,” which is a crime under the new national security law forced on the city by Beijing.
On the first day of Beijing’s new national security law in Hong Kong, 10 protesters were arrested on charges related to the law, and a chill swept over the city. Meanwhile, the U.K. and Taiwan made plans to welcome fleeing Hongkongers.
At around midnight Hong Kong time last night, China’s central government released the text of the new national security law. The law has already intimidated several Hong Kong civil society actors to publicly withdraw from their roles as opposition forces.
Thousands in Hong Kong attended the annual vigil today memorializing the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown. Prior to the vigil, the police had announced a ban on public gatherings due to COVID-19, but in the end they did not enforce that ban.
The China Project spoke with Alicia García Herrero, chief economist for the Asia-Pacific at French investment bank Natixis and an adjunct professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, about Hong Kong.