Opposition leader says this is the 'end of Hong Kong'

HONG KONG (NBC) – Leaders in Hong Kong say they’re witnessing the end of the city-state agreement with China.

Hong Kong lawmaker Dennis Kwok said, “I just want to say to the international community that this is the end of Hong Kong, this is the end of ‘one country, two systems.’”

A group of lawmakers responded with dire warnings after the Chinese Communist Party announced plans to “improve” the legal system in Hong Kong earlier Thursday.

A high-ranking official in Beijing announced that China’s ceremonial parliament will discuss a bill to change Hong Kong’s legal system and enforcement mechanisms.

Thousands of demonstrators in Hong Kong protested a bill to extradite people to China. The protests that continued for weeks were sometimes violent and shut down the city-state for weeks.

Hong Kong was guaranteed a high degree of autonomy under “one country, two systems” when Britain returned control of the city-state to China in 1997.

“Make no mistake about it, that Beijing, the Central People’s Government, has completely breached its promise to the Hong Kong people, a promise that was enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and the Basic Law,” Kwok said, “And they are now completely walking back on their obligation owed to the Hong Kong people. This is it, make no mistake about it.”

President Trump said the U.S. would react strongly if China imposed new security measures in Hong Kong.