The draconian security law that Beijing forced upon Hong Kong last week contains an article making it illegal for anyone in the world to promote democratic reform for Hong Kong.
Why it matters: China has long sought to crush organized dissent abroad through quiet threats and coercion.
Now it has codified that practice into law — potentially forcing people and companies around the world to choose between speaking freely and ever stepping foot in Hong Kong again.
In other words, every provision of the law applies to everyone outside of Hong Kong — including you.
This means that anyone advocating democracy in Hong Kong, or criticizing the governments in Hong Kong or Beijing, could potentially face consequences if they step foot in Hong Kong, or have assets or family members in Hong Kong.
"For Hong Kong, we have to understand that it is the foreground of a very global fight, authoritarianism versus democracy.".
What to watch: Hong Kong authorities may begin to detain or arrest people of any nationality upon entry to Hong Kong for their actions or speech elsewhere — or even issue extradition requests for major targets. »
