Earlier, the South China Morning Post reported that Beijing will prepare a bill on national security in Hong Kong.
Mitch McConnell (from Kentucky), leader of the Republican majority in the Senate, said Washington would review U.S.-Chinese relations if China continued to exert pressure on Hong Kong. This was reported by Reuters on Friday, citing a statement by McConnell.
“Further pressure from Beijing [on Hong Kong] will only increase Senate interest in reviewing U.S.-China relations”, – the agency quoted the Republican majority leader in the upper house of Congress as saying.
Robert O’Brien, U.S. Assistant to the President for National Security, aired on Fox News, expressed confidence that the United States would apply economic leverage if China passed and implemented the Hong Kong National Security Protection Mechanism Act.
Earlier, the South China Morning Post reported with reference to sources that the central authorities of China will soon be engaged in the preparation of a bill on ensuring national security in Hong Kong, as the authorities of this special administrative region for many years failed to develop and adopt the relevant act. The new law is expected to prohibit any subversive activity directed against the central government of China, manifestations of terrorism, separatism and foreign interference in Hong Kong’s affairs. At the same time, it will be adopted directly by Beijing, without any participation of Hong Kong legislators.
Xinhua News Agency reported that the resolution on the development of the relevant draft law is included in the agenda of the 3rd session of the National People’s Congress (supreme legislative body) of the 13th convocation. Lawmakers will consider drafting “a bill to establish and improve the legal system and enforcement mechanism for the protection of national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong (Chinese name Hong Kong). No other details on the legal act are reported.