China parliament approves Hong Kong security bill as tensions with U.S. rise

[snoop1130]

China parliament approves Hong Kong security bill as tensions with U.S. rise

By Jessie Pang and Yew Lun Tian

 

A screen shows the results of the vote on the national security legislation for Hong Kong Special Administrative Region at the closing session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 28, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

 

HONG KONG/BEIJING (Reuters) - China's parliament approved a decision on Thursday to go forward with national security legislation for Hong Kong that democracy activists in the city and Western countries fear could erode its freedoms and jeopardise its role as a global financial hub.

 

China says the legislation will aim to tackle secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign interference in the city but the plan, unveiled in Beijing last week, triggered the first big protests in Hong Kong for months.

 

Riot police were out in force in Hong Kong as its lawmakers debated another piece of legislation, a bill to criminalise disrespect of China's national anthem, while the United States piled on pressure aimed at preserving the city's autonomy.

 

Dozens of protesters gathered in a shopping mall to chant slogans but there was no repeat of disturbances the previous day when police made 360 arrests as thousands took to the streets in anger over the anthem bill and the national security legislation proposed by China.

 

Last year, the city was rocked for months by often violent pro-democracy demonstrations over an unsuccessful bid to introduce a law governing extradition to China.

 

The Chinese government's security law for the city is fuelling fear in Hong Kong and beyond that Beijing is imposing its authority and eroding the high degree of autonomy the former British colony has enjoyed under a "one country, two systems" formula since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

 

Members of China's mostly rubberstamp parliament, the National People's Congress, in the Great Hall of the People to the west of Beijing's Tiananmen Square, burst into prolonged applause when the tally showed 2,878 votes to one in favour of moving forward with legislation, with six abstentions.

 

Details of the law are expected to be drawn up in coming weeks. It is expected to be enacted before September.

 

Chinese authorities and the Beijing-backed government in Hong Kong say there is no threat to the city's autonomy and the new law would be tightly focused.

 

China's Premier Li Keqiang said the law would be good for Hong Kong's long-term stability and prosperity and the "one country, two systems" formula would remain a national policy.

 

Conflict between China and the United States would harm both sides while both stood to gain from cooperation, he told a news conference.

 

Hong Kong's Beijing-backed leader Carrie Lam said her government would work with Beijing to complete the legislative work as soon as possible.

 

"The law will not affect the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents," she said in a statement welcoming the Chinese parliament's vote.

 

Democracy campaigners in the city were despondent, however.

 

"This is the death knell for Hong Kong, make no mistake of it, this is the end of 'one country, two systems' ... the Hong Kong that we loved, a free Hong Kong," pro-democracy lawmaker Dennis Kwok told reporters.

 

'SHOW TIME'

 

The United States, Britain and the European Union have also expressed concern about the security legislation and its implications for China's freest city.

 

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday Hong Kong no longer qualified for special treatment under U.S. law, potentially dealing a crushing blow to its status as a major financial hub.

 

The proposed security law was "only the latest in a series of actions" undermining Hong Kong freedoms, he told Congress.

 

"No reasonable person can assert today that Hong Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy from China, given facts on the ground," he said.

 

The security law could see Chinese intelligence agencies set up bases in the city.

 

Relations between the two countries have been tense over China's claims in the South China Sea and trade, with the coronavirus pandemic adding to the acrimony.

 

"Already, international business is facing the pressure of increased tension between the U.S. and China, but the enactment of China's security law for Hong Kong could take the tension to a whole new level," said Tara Joseph, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.

 

"This is show time for Hong Kong," she said in a commentary in the South China Morning Post.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump has promised action over Hong Kong, with an announcement at the end of the week. More than 1,300 U.S. companies have offices in the city, providing about 100,000 jobs.

 

China said it would take necessary countermeasures against foreign interference in what it insists are its internal affairs.

 

Hong Kong stocks underperformed most of Asia, closing down 0.7%.

 

Trump's possible response could include visa and economic sanctions, David Stilwell, the State Department's assistant secretary for East Asia, told reporters.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-05-28

 

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[Mavideol]

1 minute ago, snoop1130 said:

China's parliament approved a decision on Thursday to go forward with national security legislation for Hong Kong

wohowww, what a surprise, was not expecting such a decision from the CCP (sarcasm intended)

[anterian]

I like the way the Chinese government always shows a few objectors and abstainers just to give a pretence of democracy. I wonder are they appointed as the official opposition.

Edited May 28, 2020 by anterian

[Puchaiyank]

It seems that the people of Hong Kong have no say in this security issue.  Afraid many thousands of free Hong Kong youth will perish trying to defend their freedom from Chinese tyranny using rocks and barricades...

[nobodysfriend]

Kind of a ' cold war 'between the US and China already . Tensions are rising . US wants to hold China responsible for the damage the Virus has done ... Hongkong and Taiwan issues ... Us is provoking ( rightly ? ) China by the presence of american warships near Taiwan ...

Bejing's sky turned black yesterday in the afternoon , something that predicts a dark future , some superstitious people may think ...

 

 

Edited May 29, 2020 by nobodysfriend

[wombat]

1 hour ago, nobodysfriend said:

Us is provoking ( rightly ? ) China by the presence of american warships near Taiwan ...

prod all they like, when push comes to shove, hypersonic missiles make conventional warfare obsolete. all we are ever going to see is saber rattling with obsolete.

[GSFISM]

"You will be assimilated into the Collective. Resistance is futile"

[Pedrogaz]

This will be fun. Get some popcorn and watch the sparks fly.

 

Hong Kong will revert entirely to China in 2047, so this is just a prelude of what is in store for then. The agreement does not guarantee any democratic rights, but simply absorbs Hong Kong as a province of China's.

 

And for the democratic hypocrites.....HK was not democratic under British rule....they had an appointed governor as the ruler with absolute power.

 

The time to have fought this fight for democracy and freedom from China was in 1997 when the agreement was signed by UK, China and Hong Kong. But of course the British had coerced a 100 year on Hong Kong and it expired so some agreement had to be implemented. China's mistake was not enforcing the original agreement and taking HK back under its wing....but it was to weak to enforce it militarily then. Now it is stronger and HK is weaker.

[Dumbastheycome]

3 hours ago, GSFISM said:

"You will be assimilated into the Collective. Resistance is futile"

Which collective?

Resistance implies forces acting acting against each other.

 

[GinBoy2]

3 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

This will be fun. Get some popcorn and watch the sparks fly.

 

Hong Kong will revert entirely to China in 2047, so this is just a prelude of what is in store for then. The agreement does not guarantee any democratic rights, but simply absorbs Hong Kong as a province of China's.

 

And for the democratic hypocrites.....HK was not democratic under British rule....they had an appointed governor as the ruler with absolute power.

 

The time to have fought this fight for democracy and freedom from China was in 1997 when the agreement was signed by UK, China and Hong Kong. But of course the British had coerced a 100 year on Hong Kong and it expired so some agreement had to be implemented. China's mistake was not enforcing the original agreement and taking HK back under its wing....but it was to weak to enforce it militarily then. Now it is stronger and HK is weaker.

I have to agree with most of that.

 

Had the UK introduced full democracy in the 70's or 80's, that would after the 1997 handover have been a lot harder for Beijing to unravel.

 

But in true colonial fashion they did a half hearted fudge, while retaining ultimate control, a little like Beijing actually!

 

So Beijing got the territory back without any true democratic institutions in place, and it made it a heck of a lot easier for them

 

I've seen the last Governor Chris Patten interviewed, and I think he would have done it given time, it's just a pity he wasn't there 10 or 20 years earlier

Edited May 29, 2020 by GinBoy2

[tribalfusion001]

Yes mistakes were made with HK and the expiry of the lease made it difficult to move to a full democracy. I always remember small plastic toys in the early 1970's I had always were Made in Hong Kong, I think it was a running joke at the time for cheap cr*p lol.

 

Hopefully the special status will be removed today by Trump. Unfortunately a trade war is here and another cold war as the CCP can't keep it's grubby paws off anything.

[metisdead]

A conspiracy post has been removed. 

[nobodysfriend]

8 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

Kind of a ' cold war 'between the US and China already . Tensions are rising . US wants to hold China responsible for the damage the Virus has done ... Hongkong and Taiwan issues ... Us is provoking ( rightly ? ) China by the presence of american warships near Taiwan ...

Bejing's sky turned black yesterday in the afternoon , something that predicts a dark future , some superstitious people may think ...

 

 

In the Reuters news today :

 

Attack on Taiwan an option to stop independence, top China general says ...

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-taiwan-security/attack-on-taiwan-an-option-to-stop-independence-top-china-general-says-idUSKBN2350AD

 

China will attack Taiwan if there is no other way of stopping it from becoming independent, one of the country’s most senior generals said on Friday, in a rhetorical escalation from China aimed at the democratic island Beijing claims as its own.

Edited May 29, 2020 by nobodysfriend

[Heppinger]

14 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

In the Reuters news today :

 

Attack on Taiwan an option to stop independence, top China general says ...

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-taiwan-security/attack-on-taiwan-an-option-to-stop-independence-top-china-general-says-idUSKBN2350AD

 

China will attack Taiwan if there is no other way of stopping it from becoming independent, one of the country’s most senior generals said on Friday, in a rhetorical escalation from China aimed at the democratic island Beijing claims as its own.

There will be no attack.  China is unable to produce the military grade CPU's that operate their hardware.  That's why China has a fraction of the military hardware that the US have, as their CPU's come from American companies and are only given a certain amount, on top of that China's military is a generation of tech behind the US.  The world order was established with the result of WW2, globalists masquerading as patriots run the system, they are loyal to corporations not nations.   

Edited May 29, 2020 by Heppinger

[Eric Loh]

12 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

In the Reuters news today :

 

Attack on Taiwan an option to stop independence, top China general says ...

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-taiwan-security/attack-on-taiwan-an-option-to-stop-independence-top-china-general-says-idUSKBN2350AD

 

China will attack Taiwan if there is no other way of stopping it from becoming independent, one of the country’s most senior generals said on Friday, in a rhetorical escalation from China aimed at the democratic island Beijing claims as its own.

Hawkish Generals make threats all the time. Remember Gen O'Shaughnessy Commander US Pacific Sir Force threatened North Korea with rapid, lethal and overwhelming force.  

[GinBoy2]

13 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

In the Reuters news today :

 

Attack on Taiwan an option to stop independence, top China general says ...

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-taiwan-security/attack-on-taiwan-an-option-to-stop-independence-top-china-general-says-idUSKBN2350AD

 

China will attack Taiwan if there is no other way of stopping it from becoming independent, one of the country’s most senior generals said on Friday, in a rhetorical escalation from China aimed at the democratic island Beijing claims as its own.

I'm hoping this is just sabre rattling, since if it isn't all Hell will let loose.

 

Don't forget Taiwan has a pretty formidable military, but it's all designed to keep the Red Army at bay until the USN gets there.

 

One thing that I think may be prompting this is the situation with HK.

 

When I lived in Taiwan, in Taipei and Hsinchu, it was pretty mixed on what people thought of the One Country Two System model.

A lot of people I worked with thought it could work, they could keep the NT$, and the worst that would happen would they would exchange their Republic of China passports for Peoples Republic passports.

 

Recent conversations I've have with friends, and the last election tell me thats gone.

 

Now Beijing is also seeing that trend too, hence I think the sabre rattling

[Eric Loh]

8 minutes ago, Heppinger said:

There will be no attack.  China is unable to produce the military grade CPU's that operate their hardware.  That's why China has a fraction of the military hardware that the US have, as their CPU's come from American companies and are only given a certain amount, on top of that China's military is a generation of tech behind the US.  The world order was established with the result of WW2, globalists masquerading as patriots run the system, they are loyal to corporations not nations.   

You aware that China rocket system with a range of 350-500 km can reach Taiwan which is only about 130-220 km from mainland China. 

[Heppinger]

5 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

You aware that China rocket system with a range of 350-500 km can reach Taiwan which is only about 130-220 km from mainland China. 

Are you aware the CPU's that guide those rockets are made in America?  CCP have zero ability to resist the military of the US, nor would they want to, they want to make money and control their citizens to ensure they continue to make money. 

The war rhetoric is theater to keep citizens scared and reliant on their governments.  China's warships and jets are mostly buckets of sh*t used for show.

[tribalfusion001]

3 minutes ago, Heppinger said:

Are you aware the CPU's that guide those rockets are made in America?  CCP have zero ability to resist the military of the US, nor would they want to, they want to make money and control their citizens to ensure they continue to make money. 

The war rhetoric is theater to keep citizens scared and reliant on their governments.  China's warships and jets are mostly buckets of sh*t used for show.

Even the British carriers with no planes are better than the junk carriers that the PRC have. If you compare the US Navy with China's navy, then as you say pile of sh*t.

[Brunolem]

2 minutes ago, Heppinger said:

CCP have zero ability to resist the military of the US

And neither did the talibans, the viet congs and all those who have denied the mighty US army any victory since 1945...

[Heppinger]

Just now, tribalfusion001 said:

Even the British carriers with no planes are better than the junk carriers that the PRC have. If you compare the US Navy with China's navy, then as you say pile of sh*t.

Correct, I think they have 2 carriers in service and one of them is an old soviet rust bucket.

[Loongharkok]

21 minutes ago, Heppinger said:

Are you aware the CPU's that guide those rockets are made in America?  CCP have zero ability to resist the military of the US, nor would they want to, they want to make money and control their citizens to ensure they continue to make money. 

The war rhetoric is theater to keep citizens scared and reliant on their governments.  China's warships and jets are mostly buckets of sh*t used for show.

China wants full reunification by 2049 to celebrate 100 years of communist rule, so no, it is not just theatre. 

[rabas]

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

You aware that China rocket system with a range of 350-500 km can reach Taiwan which is only about 130-220 km from mainland China. 

Most all of China's rocket technology, guidance and control systems, etc. has been copied or stolen from the US so I suspect the US knows how to defeat them. 

 

But do you remember when one of your generals said China would have no problem losing 100s of millions of Chinese citizens in a nuclear war?  Lots more left he said. 

 

You might want to reconsider you your real friends are.

 

Edited May 29, 2020 by rabas

[GinBoy2]

26 minutes ago, rabas said:

Most all of China's rocket technology, guidance and control systems, etc. has been copied or stolen from the US so I suspect the US knows how to defeat them. 

 

But do you remember when one of your generals said China would have no problem losing 100s of millions of Chinese citizens in a nuclear war?  Lots more left he said. 

 

You might want to reconsider you your real friends are.

 

When you live in a totalitarian State, human beings become a natural resource, no different to extracting a mineral from the earth and life becomes very very cheap

[Heppinger]

1 hour ago, Loongharkok said:

China wants full reunification by 2049 to celebrate 100 years of communist rule, so no, it is not just theatre. 

Commies in China want to make money and control their people, and will do as they are told, or Henry Kissinger will return them to the sh*t hole he dragged them out of.

[ncc1701d]

22 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

I have to agree with most of that.

 

Had the UK introduced full democracy in the 70's or 80's, that would after the 1997 handover have been a lot harder for Beijing to unravel.

 

But in true colonial fashion they did a half hearted fudge, while retaining ultimate control, a little like Beijing actually!

 

So Beijing got the territory back without any true democratic institutions in place, and it made it a heck of a lot easier for them

 

I've seen the last Governor Chris Patten interviewed, and I think he would have done it given time, it's just a pity he wasn't there 10 or 20 years earlier

Sorry I can’t provide a link, but I read somewhere that the British were going to introduce full democracy long before 1997, but for some reason got a lot of pushback from big business therefore they didn’t go ahead. I bet those big business are regretting that pushback now.

[GinBoy2]

9 minutes ago, ncc1701d said:

Sorry I can’t provide a link, but I read somewhere that the British were going to introduce full democracy long before 1997, but for some reason got a lot of pushback from big business therefore they didn’t go ahead. I bet those big business are regretting that pushback now.

If thats correct it would be fascinating to know the reasoning behind that.

 

But water under the bridge now, and those ill conceived chickens are definitely coming home to roost