Transfer or export of any technology to Hong Kong that could be used by Chinese authorities to for repression or surveillance in the city will be limited by the European Union, claimed a report published by Reuters citing information from a EU draft document. This is the first concrete measure taken by the EU in response to the imposition of the new controversial national security law in Hong Kong.
An agreement between the 27 EU states was reached on Friday over a series of sanctions which included curbs on trade and a review of the visa agreements with the semi autonomous territory of Hong Kong, the EU said while also expressing “grave concern” over the sweeping national security law that has been imposed by China on the former British colony.
The EU will will be “further scrutinizing and limiting exports of specific sensitive equipment and technologies for end-use in Hong Kong, in particular where there are grounds to suspect undesirable use relating to internal repression, the interception of internal communications or cybersurveillance”, said the document that has been backed by EU ambassadors, claimed the report.
The report said that the document will become enforceable starting Tuesday next week.
According to Chinese authorities, the new national security law that has been imposed on Hong Kong is aimed to prevent activities that have been broadly defined by Beijing as subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. The punishment for these “crimes” could be up to life in prison.
Critics fear that the new law will be used by Chinese authorities to severely clamp down upon the wide-ranging freedoms that were promised to the territory when it was returned to Chinese rule in 1997 by the British colonizers which included the right to protest and an independent legal system.
Supporters of the new law claim that its imposition will help to bring stability and order following the often-violent anti-government and anti-China unrest that had happened throughout last year.
The European Union also committed to “considering the implications of the national security legislation for asylum, migration, visa and residence policy”, the document said according to the Reuters report.
For the time being, no new negotiation with Hong Kong will be launched by the bloc and the EU will also review how its existing agreement with Hong Kong are impacted by the new Chinese national the security law.
The report said that the new measures could be implemented by the European Union or its member states “as deemed appropriate”.
While reinstating its support for the autonomy and the citizens of Hong Kong, the European Union stressed on renewing and furthering its engagement with the civil society in the semi autonomous region.
The impact of the adopted measures will be reviewed before the end of the year.
(Source:www.nytimes.com)
An agreement between the 27 EU states was reached on Friday over a series of sanctions which included curbs on trade and a review of the visa agreements with the semi autonomous territory of Hong Kong, the EU said while also expressing “grave concern” over the sweeping national security law that has been imposed by China on the former British colony.
The EU will will be “further scrutinizing and limiting exports of specific sensitive equipment and technologies for end-use in Hong Kong, in particular where there are grounds to suspect undesirable use relating to internal repression, the interception of internal communications or cybersurveillance”, said the document that has been backed by EU ambassadors, claimed the report.
The report said that the document will become enforceable starting Tuesday next week.
According to Chinese authorities, the new national security law that has been imposed on Hong Kong is aimed to prevent activities that have been broadly defined by Beijing as subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. The punishment for these “crimes” could be up to life in prison.
Critics fear that the new law will be used by Chinese authorities to severely clamp down upon the wide-ranging freedoms that were promised to the territory when it was returned to Chinese rule in 1997 by the British colonizers which included the right to protest and an independent legal system.
Supporters of the new law claim that its imposition will help to bring stability and order following the often-violent anti-government and anti-China unrest that had happened throughout last year.
The European Union also committed to “considering the implications of the national security legislation for asylum, migration, visa and residence policy”, the document said according to the Reuters report.
For the time being, no new negotiation with Hong Kong will be launched by the bloc and the EU will also review how its existing agreement with Hong Kong are impacted by the new Chinese national the security law.
The report said that the new measures could be implemented by the European Union or its member states “as deemed appropriate”.
While reinstating its support for the autonomy and the citizens of Hong Kong, the European Union stressed on renewing and furthering its engagement with the civil society in the semi autonomous region.
The impact of the adopted measures will be reviewed before the end of the year.
(Source:www.nytimes.com)
