Hong Kong fire draws public fury, and tests Beijing's grip on city

A massive fire that tore through a Hong Kong apartment complex has ignited an upsurge in public anger that is testing Beijing’s control of the Chinese territory.

HONG KONG — A massive fire that tore through a Hong Kong apartment complex, killing more than 150 people, has ignited an upsurge in public anger that is testing Beijing’s control of the Chinese territory.

The Nov. 26 fire at Wang Fuk Court in the northern district of Tai Po has deeply shaken Hong Kong’s population amid accusations of corrupt business practices and failures in government oversight.

The blaze was the city’s first major manmade disaster since national security laws were imposed after huge anti-government protests in 2019, and there have already been several reported arrests and official warnings against “anti-China” forces accused of sowing discord.

On Wednesday, Chinese national security authorities in Hong Kong issued their second warning in a week, saying that “external hostile forces” were using the fire to try to “recreate the chaos” of 2019 under the pretext of “petitioning for the people.”

“Those who oppose China and disrupt Hong Kong will be punished even if they are far away,” the statement said.