To me it is obvious that those things have a lot to do with each other. By doing this now China is clearly ignoring the explicit warnings from the US as said in

To me it is obvious that those things have a lot to do with each other. By doing this now China is clearly ignoring the explicit warnings from the US as said in direct statements by US political figures, the US' threat to end Hong Kong's special trade status, and the ramped up military presence in the South China Sea. The super powers are clearly aiming for a larger confrontation at this point. If you want context to the particular change, look at neighbouring Macau where apparently it has been law for more than 10 years: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3085725/two-sessions-two-cities-what-can-hong-kong-learn-macaus https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3085725... Two Sessions, two cities: what can Hong Kong learn from Macau’s experience of national security legislation?