European Union ‘deplores’ Beijing’s move to pass national security law for Hong Kong
- Brussels says legislation passed on Tuesday ‘risks seriously undermining the city’s high degree of autonomy’
- EU is considering its response with lawmakers and international partners
“We deplore this decision,” European Council President Charles Michel said on Tuesday after the sweeping law was unanimously passed by Beijing’s top legislative body.
“This law risks seriously undermining the high degree of autonomy of Hong Kong, and having a detrimental effect on the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law.”
European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen added: “Many across Europe, including in the European Parliament, have made similar statements, so we remain in touch with our international partners on this matter, and will pay careful attention on how to respond.”
00:55
EU ‘deplores’ China’s decision to enact national security law for Hong Kong
In Britain, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Britain was “deeply concerned”.
“Despite the urging of the international community, Beijing has chosen not to step back from imposing this legislation. China has ignored its international obligations regarding Hong Kong. This is a grave step, which is deeply troubling,” he said.
“We urgently need to see the full legislation, and will use that to determine whether there has been a breach of the Joint Declaration and what further action the UK will take.”
The new law prohibits acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security, and is expected to carry a maximum penalty of life in jail.
01:14
UK to raise concerns about Hong Kong national security law before UN Human Rights Council
Von der Leyen said the new legislation “does not conform with Hong Kong’s Basic Law nor with China’s international commitments both in terms of the adoption procedure and in substance”.
Von der Leyen said the European Commission would “carefully assess” those suggestions. “We are in close cooperation with the European institutions. This has to be done with care. And this is the process we are in,” she said. “China would risk very negative consequences if it went ahead with this law, including for business confidence, China’s reputation, public perception in Hong Kong.”
00:59
EU leaders warn Xi of ‘negative consequences’ if China imposes national security law in Hong Kong
Chris Patten, Britain’s last governor of Hong Kong, called it the end of “one country, two systems”.
“This decision, which rides roughshod over Hong Kong’s elected legislature, is a flagrant breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration,” Patten said, referring to the declaration that set out the terms of the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.
“It will throttle the city’s rule of law, presenting a major confrontation between what passes for law in China and the common law system in Hong Kong which has allowed the city to function as one of most important financial hubs in Asia,” he said.
03:03
Activist Joshua Wong expects to be ‘prime target’ of national security law in Hong Kong
“We can no longer distinguish between the export of controlled items to Hong Kong or to mainland China,” Pompeo said. “The Chinese Communist Party’s decision to eviscerate Hong Kong’s freedoms has forced the Trump administration to re-evaluate its policies towards the territory.”
He said the US had been “forced to take this action to protect US national security”.
China vows to retaliate after US bans defence exports to Hong Kong over national security law
Asked if the European Union would follow Washington’s move to ban the supply of defence equipment to the Hong Kong government, Michel said the bloc would need to coordinate with its 27 member states before any decisions were made.
The law is expected to come into effect on Wednesday, the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China from British rule.
00:38
UK PM Boris Johnson ‘deeply concerned’ about China’s national security law for Hong Kong
Reinhard Bütikofer, chairman of the European Parliament delegation for relations with China, said Hong Kong autonomy had been destroyed.
“The promise of one country, two systems has been broken and the freedoms that were guaranteed to Hong Kong citizens under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Hong Kong Basic Law are going to be fundamentally curtailed,” he said in a statement.
“The secretive proceedings that did not even grant Beijing loyalists in Hong Kong full information before the law had been passed is mocking Beijing’s claim of respect for Hong Kong’s legal traditions. The Hong Kong we knew is dead now.”
He said Beijing should be taken to the International Court of Justice, and the UN secretary general should nominate a special envoy for Hong Kong.
The Japanese government described China’s actions as “regrettable”, saying the law would damage international confidence in the principle of one country, two systems. Seoul also expressed concern over the impact of the law on economic exchanges between South Korea and Hong Kong, as well as the uncertainties over Hong Kong’s future autonomy.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said the national security law was another means for Beijing to tighten its control over Hong Kong and further erode the city’s autonomy, freedoms and rule of law.
Additional reporting by Keegan Elmer, Sarah Zheng, Julian Ryall in Tokyo and Park Chan-kyong in Seoul
