SYDNEY (REUTERS) – Australia warned its citizens and residents in Hong Kong that they were at “increased risk of detention” there and urged them to reconsider their need to remain in the Chinese territory.

In an updated travel advisory issued on Thursday (July 9), the government said Hong Kong’s new national security law could be interpreted broadly and Australians may be at risk of getting deported to mainland China for prosecution.

The full extent of the law and how it will be applied are not yet clear, the advisory said.

Australia on Tuesday warned its citizens that they might be at risk of arbitrary detention in China. 

 Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will on Thursday announce measures to assist Hong Kong citizens, including visas and changes to an extradition agreement, two government sources told Reuters. 

The pending announcement comes after Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne held a teleconference with her counterparts in the Five Eyes security arrangement, which includes the US, about Hong Kong overnight, the sources said. 

Morrison has previously signalled Australia might follow Britain in offering visas to Hong Kong citizens after China imposed a new security law on the city. 

Source: Read Full Article