Peter Gries comments on Hong Kong’s new security law

Professor Gries tells iNews that ‘the broad scope of the bill will likely have a further chilling effect on any political dissent.’

Hong Kong’s government has introduced a new security bill that critics argue targets political freedoms. Professor Peter Gries, founding Director of the Manchester China Institute, talked to iNews about the new bill. ‘Politically’, he said, ‘the new bill puts another stake in the coffin of Hong Kong’s political autonomy.’

He also commented on the potential financial impact of the bill on Hong Kong and China:

‘The timing of the new bill could not be worse for China’s struggling economy, as ‘state secrets’ are defined to include the basic economic information foreign companies require to invest in China.’

Peter Gries is Professor of Chinese Politics.