<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Hong Kong officials confirmed today that the government has started a process to pass new, tighter security laws this year. These will build on the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">The city's chief executive John Lee said, the proposed Article 23 would be added to Hong Kong's mini-constitution and co-exist along with the Beijing-imposed national security law.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">The financial hub saw massive pro-democracy protests in 2019. At the time, Beijing introduced the national security law to punish four major crimes, secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. These carry a range of sentences up to life imprisonment.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">The new proposed law is mandated under Article 23 of the city's constitution and will add five offenses of treason, insurrection, espionage, destructive activities endangering national security, and external interference.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Since Beijing's law was enacted in 2020, almost 300 people have been arrested on national security grounds. More than 30 have been convicted under the existing law. </p>