Critics say proposal that includes jail terms of up to three years and hefty fines raises fears over freedom of speech.
Hong Kong has introduced a controversial bill to legislators that makes mocking the Chinese national anthem a criminal offence, with punishments of hefty fines and up to three years in jail.
The proposal, which was tabled in Hong Kong's legislative council on Wednesday, has angered critics in the global financial hub who fear the measure could be used to undermine freedom of expression in the city.
China's Communist Party leaders have striven to instil greater patriotism in the former British colony at a time of heightened tension between democracy activists and forces loyal to Beijing, with some in Hong Kong even advocating independence from China.
The anthem proposal is expected to pass easily when it comes to a vote - expected to take place around mid-2019 - as the opposition does not have enough seats to block routine legislation.
Besides imprisonment, the measure would prescribe a maximum fine of 50,000 Hong Kong dollars ($6,373) for those who publicly and intentionally disrespect the anthem, the March of the Volunteers.
It also extends to schoolchildren, including pupils of international schools, who would be legally required to learn the song.
"I think teachers would feel worried about this proposal, because if we allow this government to pass a law to instruct the teachers what to teach, well, this time it is for the national anthem, maybe next time it could be other things," Simon Hung, a 36-year-old secondary school teacher, told Reuters news agency.
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