China’s parliament approves controversial Hong Kong security bill

TIL Desk/World/Beijing/ China’s parliament on Thursday approved a new controversial security law for Hong Kong which would make it a crime to undermine Beijing’s authority in the former British territory.

China’s annual political season, delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic ended on Thursday with its legislature, much on the expected lines endorsing the new security law for Hong Kong. The new law permits for the first time Chinese security agencies to open their establishments and operate in Hong Kong.

The National People’s Congress, which ended its week-long meeting approved a host of bills on the last day including the new security law for Hong Kong. The bill now passes to the Standing Committee of the Communist Party and could become law by August. The full details of the bill are not yet known.