China moved a step closer to passing a controversial law targeting dissent in Hong Kong after a top law-making committee discussed the bill on Sunday, state media reported.

The Communist Party leadership says the national security law is needed to end political unrest after the city was rocked by months of pro-democracy protests last year, but critics fear the law would smother the financial hub's treasured freedoms.

Delegates at a meeting of the National People's Congress Standing Committee reviewed the draft of the law at the committee's second meeting of the month on Sunday, the official Xinhua news agency said without giving details of the bill's latest contents.

Sunday's discussion means the committee is expected to vote on and adopt the law -- which is being fast-tracked -- in the next few days.

China's parliament endorsed the planned legislation last month, sending the draft to the Standing Committee for discussion and revision.

International critics and opposition politicians in Hong Kong have voiced fears that the law will effectively end the "One Country, Two Systems" arrangement granting the former British colony freedoms unseen on the mainland.

Xinhua said earlier this month that China will set up a "national security agency" in the semi-autonomous city, and that the new law will override any existing Hong Kong laws that may conflict with it.

China had agreed before Britain handed the territory over in 1997 to let Hong Kong maintain certain liberties and autonomy until 2047 -- including legislative and judicial independence and freedom of speech.

Article 23 of Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, says the city must enact a bill to prohibit "treason, secession, sedition (and) subversion" against the Chinese government.

But an attempt to pass it through the city's legislature in 2003 was shelved because of mass protests.

Related Links
China News from SinoDaily.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Documentary on Hong Kong protests deletes scene after anthem law
Hong Kong (AFP) June 25, 2020
The director of a documentary about Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement says he has deleted a scene featuring a dissident artist playing China's national anthem after a law was passed criminalising "insults" to the revolutionary song. The revelation illustrates how the new law is already curtailing artistic creativity in semi-autonomous Hong Kong as it seethes with popular anger towards Beijing's rule. Evans Chan, a Hong Kong-born but US-based producer behind the film "We Have Boots", said he rem ... read more