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WORLD NEWS Thursday 26 November 2020
Hong Kong leader lauds new security law despite criticism

By ZEN SOO of violating their oaths of
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong office. The move prompt-
Kong leader Carrie Lam ed all of Hong Kong's pro-
lauded the city's new democracy legislators to
national security law on resign en masse as a show
Wednesday as "remarkably of solidarity.
effective in restoring stabil- Lam said Wednesday that
ity," despite criticism that Hong Kong has experi-
it is severely narrowing the enced one of its most se-
space for free speech and vere political challenges
political opposition in the over the past year.
semi-autonomous Chinese "One of our urgent priorities
territory. is to restore Hong Kong's
Lam said in her annual constitutional order and
policy address that the law political system from cha-
had prevented a return of os," she said.
political unrest and that She said the government
bringing normalcy back to would introduce a bill by
the political system is an ur- the end of this year to
gent priority. amend local laws related
Beijing imposed the security to oath-taking, to "deal
law on Hong Kong in June, with those who have en-
aiming to crack down on gaged in conduct that
dissent following months of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks during a news conference after delivering her breaches the oath of the
anti-government protests policy address in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020. swearing-in."
in the city that at times Associated Press Lam's address had been
descended into violence. postponed for more than
Last year's protests were according to the law," she outlawing of statements other countries also sus- a month so she could seek
triggered by a proposed added. advocating Hong Kong's pended their extradition Beijing's support for various
extradition law that would Lam also criticized foreign independence and criti- treaties with Hong Kong, economic measures aimed
have allowed suspects in governments for interfering cism of China, the pulling while Britain said it would at reviving Hong Kong's
Hong Kong to be sent to in Hong Kong's affairs, say- of books from public librar- allow holders of British Na- economy.
the mainland. The proposal ing it had jeopardized na- ies with suspect political tional (Overseas) passports A leader of pro-democra-
was eventually scrapped. tional security. views and a new emphasis extended stays and a cy legislators in Hong Kong,
"Advocacies of Hong Kong The security law's passage on "patriotic education" in path to citizenship. Taiwan Wu Chi-wai, criticized Lam's
independence and collu- has drawn strong criticism schools. opened an office to help policy address, saying it
sions with external forces among rights groups and The U.S. responded to the Hong Kongers interested in was "taking Hong Kong
have progressively subsid- foreign governments, who new law by targeting a moving to the island. people to a wrong direc-
ed, some of the prominent say it betrays China's prom- number of Chinese and Beijing has rejected all tion" with policies including
figures have kept a low ise under the "one country, Hong Kong officials respon- such actions and criticisms greater co-operation with
profile, radical organiza- two systems" framework to sible for implementing the as brazen political interfer- China in areas such as fi-
tions have ceased opera- allow Hong Kong to main- legislation with travel bans ence and taken an ever- nance, aviation and tech-
tions or dissolved," Lam said tain its own legal system and financial sanctions, tougher stance on dissent nology.
in her address. and civil liberties for 50 Lam among them, and by in Hong Kong. "She bet the future of Hong
"After a year of social un- years following the hando- moving to reduce Hong Earlier this month, China Kong on the Greater Bay
rest with fear for personal ver from British to Chinese Kong's special status with passed a resolution dis- Area and the mainland
safety, Hong Kong people control in 1997. the imposition of higher tar- qualifying four pro-democ- economy. It will ruin the
can once again enjoy their They point to the curtailing iffs and visa restrictions. racy Hong Kong lawmakers international city of Hong
basic rights and freedoms, of free speech through the The U.S. and a number of after they were accused Kong," Wu said.q

Iran's president hopes Biden unravels

Trump's Iran policies

By AMIR VAHDAT two sides to the brink of war earlier this
Associated Press year.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's president re- One of Trump's signature foreign policy
iterated his hope Wednesday that U.S. moves was unilaterally withdrawing from
President-elect Joe Biden would return the nuclear accord in 2018, which had
America's Iran policy to where he left limited Iran's uranium enrichment in ex-
things as vice president four years ago, change for lifting economic sanctions.
state TV reported, rejoining Tehran's nu- Trump has since piled punishing sanctions
clear deal with world powers. on Iran that have devastated the coun-
Hassan Rouhani said that if Iran and the try's economy and crashed its currency.
U.S. could find a path back to "the situ- Rouhani called on Biden to "explicitly
ation on Jan 20, 2017," President Donald condemn" Trump's maximum pressure
Trump's inauguration day, "it could be a campaign as well as "compensate for
huge solution for many issues and prob- wrong policies pursued over the past four
lems." years," a possible reference to the mas-
Under Trump, tensions between the U.S. sive financial losses Iran suffered as a re-
and Iran have escalated, pushing the sult of Trump's sanctions campaign.