Hong Kong to introduce own national security law in 2024

Hong Kong leader John Lee has said the Chinese territory will table its own national security law in 2024, four years after Beijing imposed sweeping legislation that critics say has “decimated” freedoms.

Hong Kong leader John Lee has said the Chinese territory will table its own national security law in 2024, four years after Beijing imposed sweeping legislation that critics say has “decimated” freedoms.

The Chinese law was brought in after hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in protests that began over an extradition bill with the mainland and developed into demands for more democracy and political freedom that sometimes turned violent.

The broadly worded Beijing law bypassed the local legislature and made acts deemed to be secession, subversion, “terrorism” and collusion with foreign forces punishable with sentences as long as life in prison.

Making his second annual policy speech, Lee said some countries were still trying to undermine Hong Kong.

He did not go into detail.