logo
Hong Kong imposes new measures on overseas-based activists

Hong Kong imposes new measures on overseas-based activists

Leader Live14 hours ago
The activists were among 19 people who were targeted with arrest warrants in July for alleged roles in Hong Kong Parliament, a group the police called a subversive organisation abroad.
The organisation is not the city's official legislature and its influence is limited.
Three of the original 19 activists were already targeted by similar measures last year.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang banned providing funds or economic resources to the 16 activists, including Victor Ho, Keung Ka-wai, Australian academic Chongyi Feng and US citizen Gong Sasha, the Hong Kong government said in a statement.
Travel documents were cancelled for 12 of the 16 who hold Hong Kong passports.
The government also prohibited properties from being leased to the people on the list or forming joint ventures with them.
Anyone violating the orders risks a penalty of up to seven years in prison.
The 16 activists are hiding in the UK, the US, Canada, Germany, Australia, Thailand and Taiwan, among other regions, the government said, accusing them of continuing to engage in activities endangering national security.
The notice also accused them of intending to incite hatred against Beijing and Hong Kong through smear and slander.
'We therefore have taken such measures to make a significant impact,' the statement said.
Beijing imposed a national security law on the territory in 2020 that has effectively wiped out most public dissent following huge anti-government protests in 2019.
Many activists were arrested, silenced or forced into self-exile.
The measures announced Monday were issued under the powers granted by Hong Kong's homegrown national security law enacted last year.
The arrest warrants issued in July have drawn criticism from foreign governments, including the US, the UK and the European Union.
Police offered rewards of 200,000 Hong Kong dollars (£19,178) to one million Hong Kong dollars (£95,889) for information leading to their arrests.
In a July statement, US secretary of state Marco Rubio condemned the moves.
'The extraterritorial targeting of Hong Kongers who are exercising their fundamental freedoms is a form of transnational repression,' he said.
'We will not tolerate the Hong Kong government's attempts to apply its national security laws to silence or intimidate Americans or anyone on US soil.'
The Hong Kong office of the Chinese foreign ministry responded by opposing criticism from foreign politicians, insisting the actions were legitimate.
The governments in Beijing and Hong Kong said the security laws were necessary for the city's stability.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Russia warns US 'be very careful' in chilling response to Trump's nuclear move
Russia warns US 'be very careful' in chilling response to Trump's nuclear move

Daily Mirror

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mirror

Russia warns US 'be very careful' in chilling response to Trump's nuclear move

Donald Trump last week ordered the 'repositioning' of US nuclear submarines in response to former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's 'highly provocative' social media comments Russia has urged caution following Donald Trump's recent statement ordering the 'repositioning' of US nuclear submarines. ‌ The US president last Friday demanded that two submarines should be "positioned in the appropriate regions". Trump's move was a response to what he deemed "highly provocative" comments on social media by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev concerning the risk of war between the nuclear-armed adversaries. ‌ However, the Kremlin today played down the significance of the US leader's remarks, adding that it didn't want to get into a public argument with him. It comes after Putin warns of nuclear war after unleashing another night of hell on Ukraine. ‌ READ MORE: Donald Trump accused of 'throwing shade' at Prince Harry and Meghan with cryptic quip Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov indicated that the US should be "very careful" when talking about nuclear capabilities. ' Russia is very cautious about nuclear nonproliferation matters, and we believe everyone should be very careful about nuclear rhetoric,' he said. In addition, the Russia Foreign Ministry today issued a statement 'on the moratorium on the deployment of ground-based-intermediate-range [INF] and short-range-missiles'. In 2019, the US formally withdrew from the INF treaty - an arms control pact - which had been in place between the Americans and Russia since 1987. ‌ However, the Kremlin has now accused the 'US and its allies' of building a collection of 'destabilising' INF missiles in 'regions adjacent to the Russian Federation'. The statement added that this creates, 'a direct threat to the security of our country, and of a strategic nature. 'In general, such a development of events carries a serious negative charge and significant harmful consequences for regional and global stability, including a dangerous escalation of tensions between nuclear powers.' ‌ It went on, saying that 'the Russian Foreign Ministry notes the disappearance of the conditions for maintaining a unilateral moratorium on the deployment of similar weapons and is authorised to declare that the Russian Federation no longer considers itself bound by the corresponding previously adopted self-restrictions.' The Kremlin finished by saying that any 'response measures' would be made by the Russia's 'leadership' based on the, 'scale of deployment of American and other Western land-based intermediate-range missiles, as well as the general development of the situation in the area of international security and strategic stability.' However, despite the Kremlin's press release regarding the moratorium Peskov said that Russia did not see Trump's recent statement as an escalation in any nuclear tension between the two countries. He said: "We do not believe that we are talking about any escalation now. It is clear that very complex, very sensitive issues are being discussed, which, of course, are perceived very emotionally by many people." Peskov went on to seemingly distance Putin from Medvedev, a longtime prime minister under him who is now the deputy chairman of the national Security Council. He said: "On the whole, certainly, we absolutely wouldn't like to engage in such polemics, nor would we like to comment on that in any way," before adding: 'There can be no winner in a nuclear war."

Oil producer pressure, Trump rollbacks threaten global treaty on plastics pollution
Oil producer pressure, Trump rollbacks threaten global treaty on plastics pollution

Reuters

time3 hours ago

  • Reuters

Oil producer pressure, Trump rollbacks threaten global treaty on plastics pollution

GENEVA, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Hopes for a "last-chance" ambitious global treaty to curb plastic pollution have dimmed as delegates gather this week at the United Nations in Geneva for what was intended to be the final round of negotiations. Diplomats and climate advocates warn that efforts by the European Union and small island states to cap virgin plastic production - fuelled by petroleum, coal and gas - are threatened by opposition from petrochemical-producing countries and the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump. Plastic production is set to triple by 2060 without intervention, choking oceans, harming human health and accelerating climate change, according to the OECD. "This is really our last best chance. As pollution grows, it deepens the burden for those who are least responsible and least able to adapt," said Ilana Seid, permanent representative of Palau and chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). Delegates will meet officially from Tuesday for the sixth round of talks, after a meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) in South Korea late last year ended without a path forward on capping plastic pollution. The most divisive issues include capping production, managing plastic products and chemicals of concern, and financing to help developing countries implement the treaty. Delegates told Reuters that oil states, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, plan to challenge key treaty provisions and push for voluntary or national measures, hindering progress toward a legally binding agreement to tackle the root cause of plastic pollution. Government spokespeople for Saudi Arabia and Russia were not immediately available for comment. Andres Del Castillo, senior attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), a non-profit providing legal counsel to some countries attending the talks, said oil states were questioning even basic facts about the harm to health caused by plastics. "We are in a moment of revisionism, where even science is highly politicized," he said. The U.S. State Department told Reuters it will lead a delegation supporting a treaty on reducing plastic pollution that doesn't impose burdensome restrictions on producers that could hinder U.S. companies. A source familiar with the talks said the U.S. seeks to limit the treaty's scope to downstream issues like waste disposal, recycling and product design. It comes as the Trump administration rolls back environmental policies, including a longstanding finding on greenhouse gas emissions endangering health. Over 1,000 delegates, including scientists and petrochemical lobbyists, will attend the talks, raising concerns among proponents of an ambitious agreement that industry influence may create a watered-down deal focused on waste management, instead of production limits. The petrochemical industry said it continues to support a global treaty and has been urging the U.S. administration and Congress to "lean in" in negotiations. Stewart Harris, spokesperson for the International Council of Chemical Associations, said the U.S. in particular has an opportunity "not just at the negotiating table, but really on the implementation of the agreement" to promote the use of new technologies in mechanical recycling and advanced recycling, which turns plastic waste into fuels, plastics and other products, globally. Republican and Democratic U.S. lawmakers sent separate letters to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday pushing for divergent approaches. A group of House of Representatives Republicans led by Representative Dan Crenshaw of Texas urged the U.S. delegation to push for a treaty that focuses on expanding recycling technology, while a group of Senate Democrats led by Senator Jeff Merkely of Oregon pushed for a deal that includes plastic production caps. Two-thirds of the Senate is needed to ratify a treaty. Small island states are particularly impacted by plastic waste washing ashore, threatening their fishing and tourism economies. They stress an urgent need for dedicated international funding to clean up existing pollution. "Plastics are a concern for human health because (plastic) contains about 16,000 chemicals, and a quarter of these are known to be hazardous to human health," said Dr. Melanie Bergmann of the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany. Jodie Roussell, global public affairs lead at food giant Nestle (NESN.S), opens new tab and a member of a 300-company coalition backing a treaty to reduce plastic pollution, told Reuters that harmonizing international regulations on packaging reduction and sustainable material use would be the most cost-effective approach. French politician Philippe Bolo, a member of the global Interparliamentary Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, said that a weak, watered-down treaty that focuses on waste management must be avoided. Bolo and a diplomatic source from a country attending the talks said the potential of a vote or even a breakaway agreement among more ambitious countries could be explored, as a last resort. Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, however, said countries should push for a meaningful pact agreed by consensus. "We're not here to get something meaningless... you would want something that is effective, that has everybody inside, and therefore everybody committed to it," she said.

Chinese students at UK universities are being 'pressured to spy on classmates'
Chinese students at UK universities are being 'pressured to spy on classmates'

Metro

time7 hours ago

  • Metro

Chinese students at UK universities are being 'pressured to spy on classmates'

Chinese students at universities in the UK are being pressured to spy on their classmates, according to a new report. The UK-China Transparency (UKCT) think tank said results from a survey of academics in China studies said the system was subject to 'widespread CCP (Chinese Communist Party) influence, interference and harassment' in order to suppress discussion of issues sensitive to the Chinese government. The report claimed students had told their lecturers that they had been asked by Chinese officials to spy on their peers, while lecturers said they had instructed to not discuss certain topics in their classes The Chinese embassy in London has denied the allegations, describing the report as 'groundless and absurd', according to the BBC. It comes days after the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 was introduced. The law is designed to stop universities from censoring controversial or unpopular ideas. The law's regulator, the Office for Students (OfS), says freedom of speech and academic freedom are 'fundamental' to higher education. If UK universities fail to abide by the law they could be fined millions, said OfS. However, according the UKCT, some universities are reluctant to tackle CCP's interference due to universities' reliance on the revenue Chinese students bring in tuition fees. The report says some of those surveyed claim the Chinese government have denied UK visas to academics involved in sensitive research, while others allege family members in China have been harassed or threatened because of their relative's work in the UK. Among sensitive topics mentioned are politics and humanities, including the alleged ethnic cleaning in China's Xinjiang region and science and tech, including Covid-19. According to the report, some academics at UK universities have been intimidated by Chinese officials and scholars while on visits to the campuses. The universities allegedly include those involved with the Confucius Institute, a partnership programme funded by the Chinese government that offers cultural and language exchanges between China and countries across the world. More Trending The programme has previously been accused of spreading Chinese propaganda under the guise of teaching, with some universities around the world withdrawing from the initiative as a result. OfS chief executive Susan Lapworth previously said Confucius Institutes should be looked into under the new free speech laws due to concerns they don't meet the rules. A Chinese embassy spokesperson told the BBC it always adhered to its policy of not interfering with other countries' internal affairs. The Metro has contacted the Chinese embassy for comment. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Children left in pools of blood after knifeman rampages through school in Hunan, China MORE: How 8.8-magnitude earthquake and tsunamis are causing major flight disruption worldwide MORE: Map shows where tsunami warnings are in place after 8.8-magnitude earthquake

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store