China security office flexes new power with Hong Kong probe
Beijing's national security office in Hong Kong has carried out its first known joint operation with city officials, marking an expansion of China's direct law enforcement in the financial hub.
Local authorities on Thursday night announced they were investigating a case of alleged foreign collusion with China's Office for Safeguarding National Security. The office interviewed six people after requesting the support of Hong Kong police using new powers granted last month, according to a statement.
Hong Kong security officials searched the homes of six suspects, as well as the office of an organization, and seized evidence including bank documents and devices. The individuals were also required to surrender their travel documents.
The suspects are accused of "collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security' from November 2020 to June 2024, the government said. The statement didn't reveal their identities.
The raids show Hong Kong's clampdown on dissent is still expanding, five years after President Xi Jinping imposed a security law on the city to cement Communist Party control.
Hong Kong officials this week banned a video game for the first time under security legislation, accusing it of advocating armed revolution. That came days after imprisoned former activist Joshua Wong was hit with a fresh security charge. The one-time poster child of the city's pro-democracy protest movement was due for release in early 2027, having served two-thirds of his current 56-month prison term.
In response to a Bloomberg News inquiry, a spokesman for the Hong Kong government said it "strongly opposes to unfounded allegations and slandering remarks against the joint operation' without specifying the offending statements. No one has been arrested in the ongoing investigation, the person said in an emailed reply.
The joint operation this week marked the first application of the Safeguarding National Security Regulation, which was fast-tracked into law to facilitate Chinese security personnel.
While the Beijing-imposed security law allows mainland officials to assume jurisdiction in certain cases, the new measures bolstered that legal framework for China's security apparatus to operate directly within Hong Kong's common law system.
The May 13 legislation, which took effect before being review by lawmakers, requires Hong Kong government departments and civil servants to provide "all necessary and reasonable assistance, facilitation, support, backing and protection' to the Chinese security officers upon request.
The new rules also criminalize acts that could impede the China-run office's work, including disclosing details of its investigations, with penalties extending up to seven years in prison and fines.
The Hong Kong government has signaled a continued emphasis on national security even as it vows to focus on supporting growth, which has been challenged by China's slowdown and an uncertain external environment.
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