Critics say national security law cracking down on offences such as espionage will further erode civil liberties
Hong Kong lawmakers have passed a new national security law that grants the government more power to quash dissent, widely seen as the latest step in a sweeping political crackdown that was triggered by pro-democracy protests in 2019.
The legislature passed the safeguarding national security bill during a special session on Tuesday. It comes on top of a similar law imposed by Beijing four years ago, which has already largely silenced opposition voices in the financial hub.
