Hong Kong bans pro-independence party as China tightens grip

Hong Kong National Party banned in the interests of 'national safety'

Hong Kong has banned a political party which promotes independence, a first since the city was handed back to China by Britain 21 years ago as Beijing ups pressure on any challenges to its sovereignty.

Semi-autonomous Hong Kong enjoys freedoms unseen on the mainland, including freedom of expression, but the space for political dissent is shrinking in the face of an increasingly assertive China under President Xi Jinping.