China opened Wednesday, July 8, its new national security office in Hong Kong, making a hotel in the city's commercial district, the Metropark Hotel, its headquarters.
"The national security organ of the central government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was inaugurated on Wednesday morning," said the official Chinese news agency Chine Nouvelle.
A Chinese flag was displayed outside the building and a plaque bearing the emblem of China was installed.
New national security law
Zhang Yanxiong, the "hawk" appointed head of the office, and the head of the Hong Kong executive Carrie Lam, denounced by her opponents as a puppet of Beijing, attended the opening ceremony at the now ex-Metropark Hotel .
The office will oversee the implementation by the local executive of the new security law imposed by Beijing last week, which plans to punish subversion, terrorism, separatism and collusion with foreign forces.
This new law allows security agencies in mainland China to establish themselves in the special administrative region for the first time.
With Reuters and AFP
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