On Thursday, China revealed its plans of executing laws that would be focused on taking down anti-government protests and other objections within the city of Hong Kong. The rules signal the most apparent objective of the Communist Party of taking control of the semiautonomous region that has experienced civil liberties since 1997.
The announcement was conducted before the annual meeting of the country's legislature, and it is expected that an outline of the plan will be approved. The new legislations are likely to be stricter than what Hong Kong has in place even though no information regarding the new laws have not been disclosed.
A threatening law
The proposal also reveals the threat of violence that has terrorized the city for several months and brings to light the declining relationship between the US and China. The US is said to respond firmly in the face of suppression of the city, as reported by the New York Times.
"It is the end of 'one country, two systems'," said pro-democracy lawmaker, Dennis Kwok. "They are completely destroying Hong Kong."
State Department spokeswoman, Morgan Ortagus, said on Thursday that, "any effort to impose national security legislation that does not reflect the will of the people of Hong Kong" would be subject to international condemnation.
According to CNN, Ortagus stated that the State Department delayed its submission of the annual Hong Kong Policy Act Report to Congress in preparation for any possibility of additional actions that Beijing may be plotting in the wake of the upcoming National People's Congress (NPC) that would severely affect the democracy of Hong Kong.
Also Read: China Imposes 'Wuhan Style' Lockdown on Chinese Region, More Than 108 Million Affected
For the sake of the country
Chinese officials, however, defended the action as being needed in the protection of national security after previous protests and failure of the Hong Kong government to implement any similar laws for 17 years.
"National security is the bedrock underpinning a country's stability. Safeguarding national security serves the fundamental interests of all Chinese people, including our HK compatriots," said Zhang Yesui, NPC spokesman in a news conference on Thursday held in Beijing.
A review of the proposed title "Establishment and Improvement of the Legal System and Implementation Mechanism for the Safeguarding of National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region," was announced ahead of the annual NPC meeting set to begin on Friday, as announced by Zhang.
He also emphasized that Hong Kong is a part of China and is inseparable and, "in light of new circumstances and need," it is "highly necessary" for the NPC to utilize its powers to implement such laws. Zhang also said that additional details regarding the legislation would be revealed on Friday.
The implementation of the new proposals also threatens the confidence of investors, tourists, and other responsible parties that have had a hand in the prosperity of the city over the last 50 years.
The city of Hong Kong has previously been the median whereby money is transferred between China and international parties. The proposition notifies investors that the city may not be out of reach of China's authoritarian clutches.
"This is the end of Hong Kong," said Kwok. "I foresee that the international status of Hong Kong as a city, an international city, will be gone very soon."
Related Article : US Navy Warns Foreign Ships in Persian Gulf to Keep Distance or Face the Consequences
