The Hong Kong government says its most citizens are in favor of its plan to introduce new security legislation.

The legislation aims to complement the Hong Kong National Security Law that took effect in 2020.

The government released an outline of the legislation last month. It would prohibit acts that threaten security in Hong Kong, including theft of state secrets, espionage, and intervention in Hong Kong's affairs by foreign forces.

The government said Thursday that of the about 13,000 comments they had received from the public until the previous day, over 98 percent supported the new legislation.

The government aims to have the Hong Kong legislature enact it as soon as possible.

Imprisoned Hong Kong democratic activist Chow Hang Tung released a statement calling the government's idea of national security all-encompassing and possible to be interpreted arbitrarily.

Britain's Foreign Office said the legislation will negatively impact Hong Kong people's rights and freedoms.

The US State Department said that the legislation's definitions of "state secrets" and "external interference" are broad and vague. It said enacting additional security legislation could undermine China's "One Country, Two Systems" framework.