Different from the Basic Law Article 23 which requires approval from the Legislative Council to be enacted,[13] the proposed law can be enacted by adding it to the Annex III of the Basic Law, effectively bypassing the legislative procedure of Hong Kong.[14] Since its proposal, it has been criticized as further restricting the autonomy and civil liberties of Hong Kong.[15] On 23 May, 2020, it was noted that the Chinese state-run media have been actively defending the bill, depicting the "laws as necessary to protect the rule of the Communist Party".