John Lee Ka-chiu

his aerial photo taken on October 14, 2024 shows apartment blocks in Tung Chung on Lantau Island in Hong Kong. (Photo by Peter PARKS / AFP)

Hong Kong leader John Lee rolled out plans on Wednesday to ban flats under eight square meters and cut import tax on spirits in a bid to ease a long-term housing crunch and boost the city's sluggish economy.

HONG KONG - Serbian Deputy PM and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic met with Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Friday.

Hong Kong's new national security law came into force on Saturday, putting into immediate effect tough penalties of up to life imprisonment for crimes including treason and insurrection.

The law — commonly referred to as Article 23 — targets five categories of national security crimes and was swiftly passed by Hong Kong's opposition-free legislature on Tuesday.

Hong Kong will create its own national security law "as soon as possible", city leader John Lee said Tuesday, adding insurrection and other crimes not covered by existing legislation imposed by Beijing four years ago.

Massive pro-democracy protests rocked the finance hub in 2019, bringing hundreds of thousands of people to the streets to call for greater freedoms.