A new law by China would authorise lawmakers to directly enact long-delayed Hong Kong security legislation itself at a future date, rather than leaving it up to the territory's administration
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, right, attends the opening session of China's National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Friday, May 22, 2020.
The pandemic forced Beijing to delay its annual parliament by two months and reduce its length to a week. China made clear it wanted the law passed after Hong Kong was rocked by seven months of massive and sometimes violent anti-Beijing protests last year. Wang Chen, deputy chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, told delegates Beijing must "take powerful measures to lawfully prevent, stop and punish" anti-China forces in Hong Kong.
Targets could include police who crack down on demonstrators, Chinese officials involved in Hong Kong policy, and banks that conduct transactions with anyone who infringes on its freedoms.Although infection numbers have dwindled, China is still recovering from the Covid-19 outbreak that first appeared in the central city of Wuhan late last year and spread globally.
China's rapidly growing and modernising armed forces are a source of concern in the United States and neighbouring Asian countries nervous about Beijing's rise.
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