Hong Kong's opposition-devoid legislature approved new powers on Wednesday allowing the government to sack public office holders and bar election candidates from standing if they are deemed "disloyal" to local authorities or China.

The new laws are part of sweeping changes that Beijing has ordered for Hong Kong's already limited electoral system which will dramatically reduce the number of directly elected politicians and ensure only "staunch patriots" enter politics.

Along with a sweeping national security law, the political changes are part of a broad campaign to quash dissent after huge and often violent democracy protests rocked the finance hub in 2019.

Forty legislators approved the new law with just one dissenting vote in a chamber cleared of opposition members late last year ahead of the current political overhaul.

Under the new powers, all public office holders will be required to make a "pledge of loyalty" that they must adhere to throughout their term.

It includes principal government officials, cabinet members, legislators and judges as well as members of the legislature.

It also includes over 470 district councillors -- local neighbourhood officials who are the only people Hong Kongers can choose via universal suffrage.

At the end of 2019, pro-democracy district council candidates won a landslide in a thumping rebuke of Beijing.

At least 26 district councillors resigned in the weeks leading up to Wednesday's legislature meeting.

The law grants authorities sweeping vetting powers. Political views of public office holders will be weighed against a "positive" and "negative" list designed to weed out disloyalty and any acts that might "endanger national security".

Critics say the definitions in those lists are overly broad.

Loyalty vetting will also continue beyond the pledge and throughout a person's term.

A public official will be immediately suspended if the Secretary for Justice finds him or her disloyal.

Those who are eventually disqualified for their views will also be barred from standing for election for five years.

"Some people might seem serious when taking the oath but can commit unlawful acts afterwards," Regine Ip, a pro-Beijing lawmaker, told the legislature, adding she was "very glad" to vote for the new law.

Authorities are also writing up a separate suite of laws that will also empower a committee -- with help of police intelligence -- to vet all election candidates for whether they are a national security threat.

US business group warns 42 percent of members plan Hong Kong exit
Hong Kong (AFP) May 12, 2021 - More than 40 percent of a top US business group's members in Hong Kong said they plan to leave the city in a survey released Wednesday, highlighting growing concerns over Beijing's sweeping national security law.

China blanketed Hong Kong in a broad security law last year to snuff out dissent after months of huge and often violent democracy protests.

The American Chamber of Commerce survey -- conducted between May 5 and 9 -- found 42 percent of 325 respondents said they were planning a move away, with a significant majority (62 percent) citing the national security law as a key reason.

Other reasons given included the city's pandemic control measures, its future competitiveness, the high cost of living and concerns over the quality of education as dissent is quashed.

"While people share their love for living in this dynamic city, they also reveal growing underlying tensions and nagging fears," said Tara Joseph, AmCham's president.

"Previously, I never had a worry about what I said or wrote when I was in Hong Kong," one respondent wrote in comments published in the survey.

Another cited an "increase in anti-foreigner sentiment in the media and government statements".

Of those who are planning to move, three percent said they intended to leave immediately, 10 percent said by the end of summer, 15 percent by the end of the year, and 48 percent said they would leave within three to five years' time.

"AmCham strongly suggests that the government pay close heed to the sentiment of expatriates in Hong Kong and work towards allaying major concerns through stronger understanding of Hong Kong's international talent, lest the city lose competitiveness versus other business hubs," AmCham said.

- 'Stability' -

Commerce Secretary Edward Yau dismissed the survey results saying he believed most international businesses backed the security law and wanted to stay.

"We have seen stability brought back, they are grateful," he told reporters, adding the government's own surveys showed no uptick in plans to leave by international companies.

US businesses have previously raised fears they may be vulnerable to geopolitical tensions as relations between Washington and Beijing plummet.

A similar AmCham survey last August showed that 39 percent of 154 firms it surveyed had plans to move capital, assets or operations out of the city due to the national security law.

But moving is a costly exercise and there have been few signs major American multinationals are about to pull out en masse.

Detractors say its deliberately broad wording and application has criminalised much dissent.

The vast majority of the more than 100 people arrested so far have been detained for their political views. Bail is usually denied to those arrested and those convicted face up to life in prison.

On Tuesday, Hong Kong's police chief Chris Tang warned that publishing "fake news" could amount to a breach of the national security law.

"As long as you broke the law, we will find evidence to prove that you committed a crime. You can only wait at home for us to arrest you. But you don't have to worry at all if you didn't break the law," he said.

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