China's senior official overseeing Hong Kong's affairs said Saturday that protests are not the only way for people to express their views.
But after the enactment of a Beijing-imposed national security law following the 2019 protests, many activists were jailed or silenced amid a crackdown on the city’s pro-democracy movement. Major protests were also rare under the strict COVID-19 rules.Sign up for NBC LA newsletters.
In late March, Hong Kong saw its first authorized protest against a government policy since the lifting of major pandemic restrictions under unprecedentedly strict rules, with demonstrators made to wear numbered badges around their necks. That sparked a debate over the erosion of freedom of assembly.
“Demonstrations are not the only way to express one’s interests and demands,” Xia said Saturday, noting that there is no contradiction between safeguarding national security and expressing one's views. Past experiences have shown that causes centered on environmental protection and livelihood issues can be easily hijacked, he said.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hong Kong’s Largest Virtual Bank Offers Crypto Conversion Services – Finance Bitcoin NewsZA Bank, Hong Kong’s biggest virtual-only lender, intends to expand its business into the region’s growing digital assets sector.
Read more »
Beijing strikes cautionary tone on protests in Hong KongChina’s senior official overseeing Hong Kong’s affairs says that protests are not the only way for people to express their views, weeks after the city’s strict protest rules sparked controversy while signaling Beijing’s vision for the financial hub. Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, said Saturday the anti-government movement sparked by an extradition bill in 2019 is a scar that will not fade away and he warned against a repeat of such chaos. Xia’s remarks at a ceremony on China’s National Security Education Day indicated Beijing’s views on the city, which is promoting its return to normalcy following strict pandemic-related restrictions and political turmoil over the past three years.
Read more »
Hong Kong Confirms Crypto Commitment at Web3 Conference: ReportHong Kong is powering ahead with its ambitions to become a regional crypto hub as the West continues to clamp down on the industry.
Read more »
As China Warns Taiwan, Here’s Where Frictions StandTensions around Taiwan have always been high, but the possibility of open conflict has increased. Here’s what U.S.-China friction over the island could mean for the future balance of power.
Read more »
China’s ‘united front’ influence operations seek to undermine American society, report warnsChina’s ruling Communist Party is engaged in systematic efforts to undermine American and Western societies through the operations of a party organ called the United Front Work Department, according to an extensive new think tank report.
Read more »
Mom warns of hoax using AI to clone daughter's voiceAn Arizona mom is opening up about becoming a victim of a voice cloning hoax, where someone used artificial intelligence to replicate her daughter's voice.
Read more »