Non-Chinese citizens who criticise Beijing anywhere on the planet could be arrested if they enter Hong Kong
Hong Kong (CNN)A year ago, Chinese-Australian dissident artist Badiucao was searching for a place in Hong Kong to display some of his political works, many of which are critical of the Chinese Communist Party.

Now he says he wouldn't even transfer through Hong Kong airport for fear of being arrested under the city's new national security law.
That's because the legislation, which came into effect late Tuesday, doesn't only clamp down on freedoms at home. It also puts foreign citizens who criticize the Chinese government anywhere in the world at risk of jail if they even set foot in the city -- even if they are just transiting through the airport.
"It's really concerning and terrifying, not just for residents in Hong Kong but anyone who cares about human rights in Hong Kong and human rights in China, in general," said Badiucao from his home in Melbourne, Australia.
For decades -- first under British colonial rule and then after its handover to China -- Hong Kong has offered legal protection from the mainland Communist Party. Chinese dissents, Western academics and global non-governmental organizations used Hong Kong as a safe space to meet, organize and criticize Beijing, mostly without consequence.
Whether it can continue to serve that function is now in doubt.
"There are crimes covered by this law which are purely about speech and so there is a chance that your speech outside of the country will then expose you to risk should you enter the jurisdictions," said Jeremy Daum, senior fellow at the Yale Law Paul Tsai Center.
"Hong Kong used to be a safe space. It's no longer a safe space."
Section 38
On Wednesday, Hong Kong's top official, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, defended the new law, describing it as a "crucial step to ending chaos and violence that has occurred over the past few months" in the city.
The legislation was introduced by the central Chinese government in response to pro-democracy demonstrations that rocked Hong kong last year. Beijing saw the protests as a direct challenge to the ruling Communist Party, and blamed them on "foreign forces."
The law introduces four new crimes: secession, subversion, terrorist activities and collusion with a foreign country, which carry maximum sentences of life in prison.
Its primarily focus is on stopping local dissent. Yet section 38 has caught the eye of legal experts globally.
"This law shall apply to offenses under this law committed against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region from outside the region by a person who is not a permanent resident of the region," is the unofficial translation of section 38 by state-run news agency Xinhua.
Hong Kong protest leader flees as government warns calls for 'revolution' are now illegal
Hong Kong protest leader flees as government warns calls for 'revolution' are now illegal
In short, even people who are not Chinese citizens and live outside of Hong Kong can fall foul of the new legislation.
Mainland China has a similar law, section 8 of the criminal code, but it can only apply if the crime is punishable in both China and the foreign country -- which means speaking out against the Communist Party likely would not be covered.
But section 38 of the Hong Kong national security law has no such exception. The act committed abroad only has to be considered a crime in Hong Kong.
The law isn't retroactive, which means that anything said or done before July 1, 2020, won't be taken into account. But for artists like Badiucao, who has no intention of stopping criticizing governments in his work, or displaying previous art that was political, the law could apply as soon as he sets foot inside Hong Kong -- even though he is now an Australian citizen.
Dissidents aren't the only people who are worried, either, as Western academics could be rethinking their travel to Hong Kong. Maggie Lewis, an expert in contemporary Chinese law at Seton Hall University, said she would now consider the risk differently every time she traveled the city.
"If you aren't thinking through what you did outside Hong Kong before you enter Hong Kong, I don't think you're going through the necessary thought process to be careful," she said.
Marco Rubio, a US Republican senator and frequent critic of China, went a step further on Wednesday, warning US citizens against traveling to the city. "Anyone American who now travels to #HongKong for business or pleasure is out of their minds," he posted on Twitter.

Following the path of North Korea

A choice for Africans. Either the great evil devil(Western countries).

Or the terrible red killing Sea (Chinese).

It's finally here! The end is at hand!

..

Countries have been opening their gate to Hong Kong citizen.

China will soon reach it's boundary

na una know o

Africans take note...

The way USA and China are acting this days against foreigners,I hope their fall is not eminent

Ok...! Thunder fire all those ugly short yellow colour chinese with fake organs.

Binikingdowm:
A choice for Africans. Either the great evil devil(Western countries).

Or the terrible red killing Sea (Chinese).

I think it is more complicated

so hong Kong is now a communist settlement

Fingerlakes01:
Stupid law

for those who are pro west.for those who pro communist they are singing mainland Chinese.
imagine the guy they hired as police chief over hong Kong.
news has it that the guy no dey send

Hong Kong has been clamoring for a sovereign state for long years nobody answers them, common Biafra states want to intimidate the whole of Nigeria...

It well be a cold day in hell before this hater of all things Chinese EVER has reason to set foot in China or Hong Kong, so I offer a very polite and respectful PHUCK Y'ALL to the Chinese leadership and their bat-eating swarms of greedy invaders who are currently stampeding over to Africa in a desperate bid to steal its natural resources, and buy up its land, pending the time they are all booted out and back to their polluted homeland, where they will then remain until hell freezes over.