(Adnkronos) – Hong Kong authorities have presented a new proposal to further strengthen the already controversial national security law, introducing a mechanism that would allow mainland China to exercise jurisdiction in “complex” cases related to crimes such as treason, sedition or espionage, especially if they involve foreign actors.
The measure, illustrated in a document from the Chinese Office for Safeguarding National Security, leverages Article 55 of the 2020 law, which allows Beijing to intervene when local authorities fail to effectively enforce the rules. According to the text, the current geopolitical context and increasing tensions with the United States would justify strengthening cooperation between Hong Kong and central Chinese structures.
The measure follows the unanimous approval, in 2024, of a previous regulation that had already broadened the prosecutable offenses and tightened prison sentences for acts considered subversive. Human rights organizations fear that these reforms will end up normalizing the repression of dissent, further reducing the freedoms guaranteed by the “one country, two systems” model.
