Hong Kong has passed a draconian national security law at a fast-tracked speed, which experts warn is an effort to quickly extend Beijing's grip over the remaining opposition to its erosion of civil liberties in the semi-autonomous territory.

On Tuesday, the city's pro-Beijing legislature finished the second and third readings of the "Safeguarding National Security Bill," also known as Article 23 of the Basic Law, before proceeding to the final vote.

With unanimous support from all 89 lawmakers, the bill is now set to take effect on March 23 — nearly a month earlier than many observers had expected.

The specific laws will introduce a range of new offenses including treason, espionage, external interference and disclosure of state secrets – some of which are punishable by up to life in prison.

Following the first passage of a sweeping national security law Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in 2020, the latest bill is widely believed to further undermine the city's freedom and autonomy promised by Beijing after the region returned from British colonial rule in 1997.

There is widespread international concern over the sudden fast-tracked legislative process.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in a statement that it is alarming to see "such consequential legislation was rushed through the legislature."

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Eric Lai, a research fellow at Georgetown University's Center for Asian Law, shed light on the........

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