The Tough Balancing Act: Hong Kong's Struggle for Autonomy under China's Pressure

The increasingly tense situation in Hong Kong has once again drawn the attention of the international public. Following the pro-democracy protests in 2019, China imposed massive restrictions on freedom in the special administrative region by implementing a comprehensive national security law. This law has resulted in numerous opposition figures, including former media mogul Jimmy Lai, being imprisoned while awaiting trial. By November 2024, more than 40 people had been convicted. Additionally, other measures led to the closure of news portals and the disciplining of teachers. President Xi Jinping clearly aims to have Hong Kong controlled by "patriots," raising doubts about whether the city can truly maintain the promised "high degree of autonomy" and an independent judiciary that the framework of "one country, two systems" was supposed to ensure. The national security law is central to this. It targets secession, subversion, terrorism, and "collusion with foreign and external forces," granting extensive powers to suppress any form of opposition. Without public debate in Hong Kong or a vote by the locally elected legislature, the law was passed in 2020 by China's highest legislative body, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and approved by Xi. It provides for life imprisonment and applies to acts committed by both locals and foreigners.