Fear of foreign interference looms large in China's version of Hong Kong law

Pedestrians wearing protective masks take shelter under umbrellas while crossing a street in the Central district in Hong Kong. The island now is grappling with a controversial new security legislation that China plans to impose on the city, a move that has generated criticism from western democracies amid concerns from these countries over basic freedoms in the financial hub. - Bloomberg

BEIJING: Few would disagree that China's late patriarch Deng Xiaoping was a wise and visionary leader. It took courage to grant Hong Kong autonomy in a "one country, two systems" framework that sets the city apart from other Chinese cities green with envy.

China would keep its hands off Hong Kong, pledging that the city's capitalist system and lifestyle will not change for 50 years and that it will be run by Hong Kongers except in foreign and defence affairs.