TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Hong Kong democracy activist Nathan Law (羅冠聰) had a 20-minute meeting with United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in London Tuesday (July 21) to discuss the impact of China’s national security act on the formerly autonomous territory.
On July 1, the law came into effect even though its contents had been unknown to the public at large for most of the review process conducted by the Chinese government. The act has been described as draconian due to the imposition of limits on free speech and its threats against critics far outside of China and Hong Kong.
Law, 27, disappeared from the former British territory as the law came into effect on July 1 and later announced he had moved to London.
On Tuesday, the democracy activist walked into the U.S. ambassador’s residence in London just as Britain’s last governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, was leaving the building, the South China Morning Post reported.
Law told Pompeo what daily life was like in Hong Kong now that the national security law has come into effect. He asked for a strong reaction from the international community if candidates for Legislative Council elections are disqualified under the new act.
The one-on-one meeting had been requested by Pompeo personally, Law said on his Facebook page.
At a news conference in London, Pompeo called for an international coalition to tell China clearly that it needed to change its behavior. Britain meanwhile announced the expansion of its arms embargo against China to include Hong Kong as well as the suspension of an extradition treaty with its former colony.
