Overview

• Hong Kong legislators concluded clause-by-clause deliberations of the Article 23 bill, examining a series of amendments to existing laws.
• The amended bill, submitted after marathon scrutiny, empowers the chief executive to draft subsidiary legislation, with new offences punishable by up to seven years in jail.
• Critics argue the bill transforms Hong Kong from a free society to one where fear prevails, with potential life sentences for espionage, treason, and foreign interference.
• The legislation is seen as Beijing's effort to tighten its grip on Hong Kong, diminishing the city's autonomy and civil liberties.
• The bill's passage is imminent, following a fast-track process in Hong Kong's opposition-less legislature.