Hotel thought to be Beijing’s new HK national security office gears up for official opening
Record ID:
1561173
Hotel thought to be Beijing’s new HK national security office gears up for official opening
- Title: Hotel thought to be Beijing’s new HK national security office gears up for official opening
- Date: 7th July 2020
- Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (JULY 8, 2020) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) WORKER PLACING NATIONAL EMBLEM OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA IN FRONT OF METROPARK HOTEL VARIOUS OF WORKERS CHECKING THE EMBLEM VARIOUS OF WORKERS MOVING WATER-FILED BARRIER AS POLICE OFFICERS STANDING POLICE OFFICERS STANDING NATIONAL EMBLEM OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA POLICE OFFICER AND WATER-FILED BARRIERS EXTERIOR OF METROPARK HOTEL IN CAUSEWAY BAY POLICE VANS PARKING NEXT TO METROPARK HOTEL
- Embargoed: 21st July 2020 20:42
- Keywords: China Hong Kong Metropark Hotel National Security office national security legislation temporary office
- Location: HONG KONG, CHINA
- City: HONG KONG, CHINA
- Country: Hong Kong
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA001CLTAY4N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:A brand new Chinese national emblem was placed outside the Metropark Hotel in Hong Kong at midnight on Wednesday (July 8) morning as a number of police officers were on the scene and water-filled barriers were placed around the exterior.
The hotel is believed to be the temporary local base for China's new security agency which has geared up for its official opening.
One police officer on site confirmed there will be an opening event on Wednesday (July 8) morning with a flag-raising ceremony.
The Metropark Hotel in Causeway Bay is located opposite Victoria Park, home of the annual candlelight rallies in memory of China's bloody 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy crackdown.
The hotel's webpage appeared to be offline reading: "The website system is now under system maintenance, service is temporarily unavailable".
The new security agency was established under national security legislation imposed by China this week on Hong Kong that will punish crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison, heralding a more authoritarian era for China's freest city.
Under the legislation, the new agency in Hong Kong can take enforcement action beyond pre-existing local laws in the most serious cases.
(Production: Joyce Zhou, Tyrone Siu) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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