'Historic milestone': HK's LegCo passes national security bill

Hong Kong's Legislative Council on Tuesday passed the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.

The city's legislature convened a special meeting today to resume its second reading of the bill, where lawmakers expressed their support for the homegrown legislation. 

Lawmakers then began considering 91 amendments to the bill proposed by the government, after which came the third reading of the bill.

At the end of an hours-long special session, lawmakers unanimously passed the bill after it went through its second and third readings.

It outlaws treason, insurrection, theft of state secrets, espionage, sabotage and external interference, among other offences.

This was the SAR's second attempt to pass homegrown national security legislation, after 2003.