Hong Kong: Hong Kong's government issued an unprecedented ban against a pro-independence political party that it has called a risk to national security.

"I hereby order that the operation or continued operation of the Hong Kong National Party in Hong Kong be prohibited," John Lee, the city's security secretary, said in a two-line statement published to Hong Kong's official Gazette.

The move to ban the National Party risks fanning fears that the city's administration wants to set a precedent for clamping down on other opposition groups, eroding Hong Kong's autonomy under the "one country, two systems" framework in place since Chinese rule began in 1997. It may also lay the groundwork to revive a shelved national security law prohibiting secession and subversion.

Hong Kong's government had threatened to ban the National Party in July. China later warned the Foreign Correspondents' Club that it risked repercussions for hosting its young leader, Andy Chan, to speak about the potential ban. The club's members include journalists from Bloomberg and other news organisations.

The move prompted pro-Beijing protesters to gather outside the club's premises, and criticism from Hong Kong's former leader. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the FCC of abusing the former British colony's right to free speech by giving Chan a platform.