HONG KONG — Foreign missions in Hong Kong are moving to formally lodge concerns over new national security legislation, particularly vague provisions on state secrets and foreign interference.
European Union member states intend to submit their concerns to the Hong Kong government on Friday at the latest, according to people familiar with the matter. Canada has also submitted a diplomatic note, calling for the Hong Kong government to establish independent mechanisms to ensure transparency, proportionality and accountability.
The Hong Kong government will reveal a draft of the security legislation, known as Article 23, after a consultation period ended on Wednesday. The law would build on the existing national security law imposed by China’s central government in mid-2020, closing “loopholes” and, critics say, further curtailing civil liberties.