Anecdotally, I have heard that if you exit the mainland that your visa is cancelled immediately so doing a visa run seems doubtful.

Note: this is hearsay. Going to the entey/exit department in the city where you registered with the police would yield accurate information and may even eliminate the need for a visa run. Who knows?

Short answer: No. You can only transit through Hong Kong at the moment.

Not all ... foreigners ... can visit HK ... 'cause of 'tit-for-tit ' .. 

Rabobank: Every Member Of Congress Is Now Open To Arrest If They Visit Hong Kong

The bill also states any foreign financial institution that conduct “significant transactions” with anyone in the Hong Kong government or the National People’s Congress (NPC) will be cut off from the US financial system...

Around 12 hours after publication came news that the White House plans to proceed with “harsh” Magnitsky sanctions against members of the Chinese Communist Party it sees as responsible for human rights abuses in Xinjiang. That decision may have been prompted by the US seizure yesterday of a cargo of 11.8 tonnes of human hair for wig-making which it alleges may have been sourced from “re-education” centres in Xinjiang holding ethnic Muslim populations: the US does not seem to believe Uighurs are all being taught hair-dressing. Beijing has already made clear it will be furious if this occurs: could it perhaps go so far as to target US firms in response?

Yet within hours that threat was eclipsed by the unanimous passage by the US House of Representatives of the bill already passed in the Senate to impose mandatory Magnitsky sanctions on Chinese banks who do business with officials implementing Hong Kong’s new national security law. Constitutionally, the Senate now needs to pass the bill again, which it appears will take no time at all given the sentiment in DC, and it then goes to President Trump with a veto-proof majority behind it - meaning it WILL become law. Perhaps even as soon as this this week, but certainly in the not-too-distant future. Underlining the present political dynamic, each member of Congress has, in all likelihood, broken said Hong Kong law by their actions and could technically be open to arrest if they were to visit.

Searches without warrant & confiscation of property: Hong Kong details new powers under national security law

Hong Kong officials have shed more light on the city’s new national security legislation, which provides local law enforcement with additional powers to counter secessionism and terrorism.

Jul 6, 2020 19:23

The government of Hong Kong released details on China’s new legislation on Monday. The national security law was formally approved by Beijing last week, and has already yielded its first prosecution.

Under the new law, police are able to search properties for evidence, and in “exceptional circumstances” do not require a warrant, if they have authorization from a high-ranking police official. The legislation also allows officers to freeze or even confiscate property involved in activities that are considered a national security threat

The law also obliges “foreign and Taiwan” agents and political organizations linked to an investigation into a potential national security breach to disclose information to the authorities. Such information can include their “activities, the personal particulars, as well as the assets, income, sources of income, and expenditure.”

A large portion of the new measures revolve around policing of online content. Law enforcement are now able to demand the removal or restriction of access to any “electronic message published on an electronic platform” deemed damaging to national security.

Failure to cooperate with the authorities – in both disclosing required information and taking down harmful content – can result in jail terms and large fines for individuals and information service providers, as well as “foreign agents” and organizations.

Such provisions apparently spell trouble for the social media platforms and messengers, including Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram, which have vowed to not to cooperate with Hong Kong law enforcement, citing “human rights” concerns over the new law.

The new legislation has drawn much criticism in the West, with the US, UK and others accusing China of stifling the ‘freedoms’ of Hong Kong residents. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has accused Beijing of a “serious breach” of London’s agreement with China on how the former UK colony should be governed under the “one country, two systems” formula. China, however, firmly rejected all the accusations, insisting the law is needed solely to reinforce security, and warning foreign powers to stay out of its domestic affairs.

Australia Warns Citizens They Risk Arbitrary Detention While Traveling Through China

Travel advisory update has outraged Beijing in wake of broad Hong Kong security law & new fears of "hostage diplomacy". 

Tue, 07/07/2020 - 23:10

The Australian government has issued a provocative new warning sure to damage already rocky and worsening relations with Beijing, updating travel advice for China telling Aussies they risk 'arbitrary detention' while traveling through the communist-run country.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs revised the travel advice on Tuesday with this new phrase:

“Authorities have detained foreigners because they’re ‘endangering national security’. Australians may also be at risk of arbitrary detention.”

Similar to the situation with the Trump administration, there's been a developing tit-for-tat leveling of accusations between Australia and China, including last week's charge from Beijing that Australia is waging an "espionage offensive".

Already there had been travel warnings related to coronavirus restrictions when for months prior as authorities in China struggled to get the pandemic under control, but this latest official travel guidance for Aussies is somewhat unprecedented given its politically charged nature.

It will also no doubt hurt the Chinese tourism industry, given Australians are among the most frequent foreign travelers when it comes to southeast Asia.

The move could also be linked to the new Hong Kong national security law which went into effect July 1st, and has since been roundly condemned by the US, UK, and European countries. Australian media has cited Feng Chongyi, an Associate Professor in China Studies at the University of Technology Sydney, to explain of the travel update:

"I think it is a precautional response given that the Hong Kong version of the National Security Law has been so broad and vague," he said.

"In a sense that it subjects almost everyone into arbitrary detention," he added according to Australia's ABC. Local media has also warned of a "hostage diplomacy" type scenario in which China could detain Australian citizens on trumped up charges in order to gain leverage in any negotiations.

This also comes amid a row between China and Canada, after Canada suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong. Beijing has since urged Canada to change course immediately, or risk retaliatory action.

Ironically China then issued its own travel advisory on Canada Monday, reading in part that citizens must remain "cautious" while traveling there because of "frequent violent actions by law enforcement agencies in Canada, which have triggered many demonstrations."

 How to build up a new Great wall ... from the outside? 

https://www.news.com.au/world/asia/china-threatens-australia-over-helpin...

China has warned the Australian economy will have a “bitter pill to swallow” if Canberra allows fleeing Hong Kong citizens to settle here.

The Global Times, which is considered a proxy for Beijing, made the comments in an editorial this morning.

The paper said a move to make it easier for Hong Kong citizens to settle in Australia would have a “huge negative impact” on the Australian economy and there would be “immeasurable losses” to Aussie firms.

It comes as a chorus of countries, including the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, have criticised the imposition of a new and highly controversial security law in the one-time British territory.

...more ..

Shut the MFs down and let them eat their own manure ... or "RESPECT THE PROMISE GIVEN!"

Lem'me be a diplomat for a day ...

State Department's warning to US citizens in China, posted on one&only ZeroHedge:

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/state-department-warns-us-citizen...

State Department Warns US Citizens In China Of "Prolonged Interrogations And Extended Detention"

Sun, 07/12/2020 - 13:10

Things are going so splendidly with China right now, the U.S. has officially come out and warned citizens that there is a heightened risk of arbitrary law enforcement - and detention - for visitors to the Asian country.

The State Department is telling Americans to “exercise increased caution” in China, noting that there is a chance they could be banned from exiting the country, according to Reuters. 

The U.S. State Department told citizens in China last week: "U.S. citizens may be detained without access to U.S. consular services or information about their alleged crime. U.S. citizens may face prolonged interrogations and extended detention for reasons related to state security."

The warning continued: “U.S. citizens may be detained without access to U.S. consular services or information about their alleged crime.” 

U.S. citizens in China could wind up facing “prolonged interrogations and extended detention”, the State Department continued.

The alert comes at a point where tensions between China and the U.S. appear to be on the rise. Despite the Phase 1 trade deal supposedly going forward, blame for coronavirus pandemic and China's reporting of the virus to the world continue to be points of contention for the Trump administration.

At the same time, the U.S. has taken a far more hawkish view on Chinese companies doing business in the U.S., including names like Huawei, Hikvision and TikTok. The Trump administration is taking the threat of IP theft from these companies far more serious than China would probably like and, as a result, it appears the State Department believes China could wind up retaliating. 

"Washington and Beijing recently exchanged visa bans against each other’s officials," Reuters also reporting, making note of how tensions continue to be on the rise.

Australia issued a similar warning to its citizens last week, which China called “completely ridiculous and disinformation.”

"It mutates ..." HK's Dr. Leung ....

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/its-unlike-anything-weve-seen-hon...

"It's Unlike Anything We've Seen" - Hong Kong Discovers COVID-19 Mutation That Makes Virus 30% More Infectious

Mon, 07/13/2020 - 12:45

As Hong Kong reimposes new social distancing restrictions and orders gyms and arcades to close, while asking restaurants to close dine-in service in the evenings, one of its top virus experts is warning the city state might be on the cusp of its biggest and deadliest outbreak yet, and that Hong Kongers must be careful to do their part to help stop SARS-CoV-2 from spreading.

Professor Gabriel Leung, dean of the University of Hong Kong’s medical school and a frequently quoted voice whose statements and views help influence the government's response, says he believes there are a least 50 hidden cases in the community, many caused by international travelers according to the SCMP.

Moreover, the doctor warned, apparently citing evidence obtained from local researchers, that a new mutation had been discovered in Hong Kong - a mutation that, according to Dr. Leung, has caused the virus to become 30% more infectious. He highlighted Kowloon East and Sha Tin as two areas of heightened risk, and insisted that the city state provide more resources for the elderly there.

Like all statements about mutations, this should be taken with a grain of salt, though some research certainly does suggest that minor variations that affect how the virus attaches to the human ACE2 reception could make the virus more infectious.

"This is the start of a sustained massive local outbreak the likes of which we have never seen before," Leung said during a radio interview on Sunday. The day before, HK health authorities warned that a third wave of the virus appears to be the most serious by far, as at least 61 people in the city are believed to have been infected, or highly suspected to have been but are awaiting final test results.

Unlike when SARS swept through Hong Kong's financial district in 2003, Hong Kong has been largely spared by COVID-19, with a total of roughly 1,500 cases and only a handful of deaths. Still, officials have remained on guard, and Dr. Leung warned that the location of the latest cases suggests that the city didn't do a good enough job suppressing several known clusters. Saturday’s new local infections arose from restaurants in Ping Shek Estate of Kwun Tong district and in Jordan of Yau Tsim Mong district, along with an old folks home in Tsz Wan Shan.

"It is very obvious that when the government relaxes social-distancing measures, the pandemic situation gets worse," said Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, a microbiologist at the University of Hong Kong.

"There were many restaurants around the elderly care centre in Tsz Wan Shan, including a cha chaan teng frequented by taxi drivers. Many of the reported cases lived in areas of East Kowloon such as San Po Kong, Wong Tai Sin, Kwun Tong, Yau Tong, and Tseung Kwan O," Leung said.

During the interview, the doctor urged every Hong Konger to do their part, otherwise the effort will fail.

"It is very obvious that when the government relaxes social-distancing measures, the pandemic situation gets worse. The change is immediate," he said.

Yuen said Hongkongers needed to be more cautious again and avoid eating out, as the virus could easily transmit from one person to another in enclosed spaces if people did not wear masks.

However, he said even if the government tightened social-distancing measures immediately and to the strictest possible degree, it would not work without the cooperation of city residents.

"Social-distancing rules worked in March because everybody was on high alert and cooperating," he said.

If everyone takes immediate measures now by wearing masks and practising good hand hygiene, Hong Kong’s cases will decrease within next seven to 14 days."

In addition to Dr. Leung's remarks, another scientists from HKU, the microbiologist Professor Yuen Kowk-yung, made a few additional remarks during a TV interview of his own, including acknowledging that suppressing all spread as businesses reopen is never easy.

But the most important action that the government can take would be to increase the number of tests done daily.

Speaking on a television programme on Sunday, HKU microbiologist Professor Yuen Kwok-yung said the current wave of new infections was almost certainly due to the lifting of social-distancing measures.

"It is very obvious that when the government relaxes social-distancing measures, the pandemic situation gets worse. The change is immediate," he said.

Yuen said Hongkongers needed to be more cautious again and avoid eating out, as the virus could easily transmit from one person to another in enclosed spaces if people did not wear masks.

However, he said even if the government tightened social-distancing measures immediately and to the strictest possible degree, it would not work without the cooperation of city residents.

"Social-distancing rules worked in March because everybody was on high alert and cooperating," he said.

"If everyone takes immediate measures now by wearing masks and practising good hand hygiene, Hong Kong’s cases will decrease within next seven to 14 days."

Yuen also accused the authorities of not screening enough people for the virus.

[...]

"Residents should be able to just walk into the clinics and get tested, instead of waiting for an appointment," he added.

In recent days, Hong Kong has been running some 4,000 to 5,000 tests a day: "We will not be able to achieve wide-scale screening within the community at this pace,” Dr. Yuen said. For the city to succeed, it needs to make hard choices about restricting travel, while also requiring some financial support from Beijing.

Too bad none of this is covered under that new 'National Security' law.