China said yesterday it is pushing for a new national security law that would give the Communist Party more authority in Hong Kong, a move that could reignite fear and anger over the erosion of freedoms in the city.
The rules would allow Beijing to target the large, often-violent anti-government protests that roiled Hong Kong for much of the previous yearunrest that has posed a direct challenge to the party and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Xinhua news agency said China would propose the law during the annual session of the National People's Congress, which begins today. A broad outline for the rules is likely to be approved by the legislature.
The process would effectively circumvent the Hong Kong go-vernment, undercutting the relative autonomy granted to the territory under the "one country, two systems" formula.