The flags of China and Hong Kong are displayed in rows.
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The law contains strict penalties for a wide range of acts, including “treason” and “rebellion,” which are punishable by life imprisonment.
Following the announcement, the US State Department described the threats contained in the law as “incredibly poorly defined and vague.”
“We believe that this type of action has the potential to accelerate the lockdown of a previously open Hong Kong community,” government spokesman Vedant Patel said.
China's embassy in the United States responded by saying that other countries should not interfere in its affairs.
“Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong. Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs, and no country can point fingers or interfere in them.” A spokesman said on Wednesday.
He added, “We urge the American side to respect China's sovereignty, adhere to the principles guided by international law and the basic standards governing international relations, and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs, which are China's internal affairs.”
Hong Kong's Legislative Council introduced the bill known as Article 23 on March 8, with Chief Executive John Lee urging the law to be passed “as soon as possible” amid an “increasingly complex” geopolitical backdrop.
Earlier this month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the United States was devising “new ways to suppress China” and that its accusations against Beijing had reached an “unbelievable degree.”
“There is some progress in bilateral relations between China and the United States, but we have to point out that the United States continues to insist on misunderstanding China,” he said.
– CNBC's Evelyn Cheng and Clement Tan contributed to this story.
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