TOKYO -- China's plans for new national security legislation in Hong Kong have sparked a massive debate about the mainland's obligations to the former British colony, including whether Beijing is beholden to a 1984 declaration promising 50 years of autonomy to the city.
China's National People's Congress voted May 28 to draft and impose national security legislation for Hong Kong, which would ban acts of subversion, secession and terrorism. Critics believe this legislation could be used to quash dissent in the city, such as the ongoing pro-democracy protests there.
