Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam had declined to comment earlier in the day, while the committee was still meeting. More than 100 protesters gathered at a luxury mall in Hong Kong’s Central business district, with several holding up a “Hong Kong Independence” flag as well as posters condemning the national security law. Ahead of the announcement, the Trump administration said it will bar defence exports to Hong Kong and will soon require licenses for the sale of items to Hong Kong that have both civilian and military uses. “We can no longer distinguish between the export of controlled items to Hong Kong or to mainland China. Passage of the legislation will also allow the central government in Beijing to set up a national security office in Hong Kong to collect and analyse intelligence and deal with criminal cases related to national security.

Source: Irish Independent June 30, 2020 06:33 UTC