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| Buildings are seen above Hong Kong and Chinese flags, as pro-China supporters celebration after China's parliament passes national security law for Hong Kong, in Hong Kong, China June 30, 2020. (Photo by=REUTERS/Tyrone Siu) |
[아시아뉴스통신=레악카나 기자] Sweden said on Monday (Jul 13) it supported Franco-German efforts for a robust response to China's new security law on Hong Kong, joining Denmark and the Netherlands in pushing the European Union to consider countermeasures on Beijing. European Union has denounced the decision by China's parliament to pass national security legislation for the former British colony of Hong Kong despite an international outcry. "There is a proposal of measures especially proposed by Germany and France that I will support because we need to react to what is happening in Hong Kong," said Swedish Foreign Minister Anne Linde said before a rare meeting in person with her EU counterparts in Brussels.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last month warned of "very negative consequences" for Beijing if it curtailed guarantees of freedom in Hong Kong that are not enjoyed on the mainland. EU officials declined to go into details about the measures.
Instead, they entail extending the EU's export ban on equipment that could be used for torture or repressive policing, such as spiked batons or rubber bullets, giving Hong Kong activists long-term refugee status in the bloc and supporting more opportunities for Hong Kong students to study in Europe.
