In the month since Beijing introduced Hong Kong’s new national security law, Reuters has been at the forefront of coverage of the bill and its far-reaching implications with a series of exclusives, analysis stories and Special Reports.
Riot police fire tear gas into the crowds to disperse anti-national security law protesters during a march at the anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China from Britain in Hong Kong, China July 1, 2020. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
As Hong Kong braced itself for the legislation, Reuters published an exclusive poll with graphics which showed most Hong Kong residents opposed to the security law but also pointed to a dip in support for the protest movement and its demands.
On the day the law came into effect, Reuters made sense of the sweeping legislation in a report that highlighted the crimes punishable by China: secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison.
Two days after the announcement by Beijing, Reuters published an exclusive report revealing that Hong Kong pro-democracy activists were discussing a plan to create an unofficial parliament-in-exile. Reuters also took an in-depth look at the role of Hong Kong Police Commissioner Chris Tang, who was pivotal in dousing the protest movement that roiled the city. The Special Report examined the powerful tools handed to Tang through the legislation and its immediate effect on quelling dissent.
Reuters exclusively reported Chinese state lenders were revamping contingency plans in anticipation of U.S. legislation that could penalise banks for serving officials who implement the new law. In a worst-case scenario, Reuters reported, banks were looking at the possibility of being cut off from U.S. dollar settlements.
This was followed by a comprehensive explainer of the Hong Kong dollar’s 36-year peg to its U.S. counterpart and the concerns about its stability amid the growing tensions between China and the United States.
In another exclusive report, Reuters revealed that global wealth managers were examining whether their clients in Hong Kong have ties to the city’s pro-democracy movement, in an attempt to avoid getting caught in the crosshairs of China’s new law.
Reuters also followed a married couple in Hong Kong who were among the first to be tried on rioting charges, detailing their journey from arrest to acquittal amid dramatic court scenes.
For more coverage of the Hong Kong national security law, visit Reuters.com.
[Reuters PR blog post]
Media contact:
Tumshie Smillie
tumshie.smilllie @ tr.com