Hong Kong: how HSBC became wrapped up in China’s ‘security law’

Global bank has spent much of 2020 embroiled in fierce debate over territory’s sovereignty

Man walks in front of vandalised HSBC store in Hong Kong
Global bank has spent much of 2020 embroiled in fierce debate over city-state’s sovereignty
(Image credit: Isaac Lawrence/AFP via Getty Images)

HSBC has been a staple of Hong Kong’s financial landscape for over a century, but the banking giant has endured a torrid 2020 after becoming embroiled in the ongoing debate over China’s “security laws”.

For more than twelve months, the bank has been “bashed and threatened by the Chinese authorities” over the legislation that effectively outlaws attempts at secession from Beijing, The Times says.

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