For U.S. tech firms, doing business in Hong Kong is suddenly a whole lot riskier

HONG KONG — Touting her city's credentials as a base for tech start-ups, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam told entrepreneurs last week that she needed to "dispel some misrepresentations" about a wide-ranging security law that had just taken effect.

"I am not going into the details of the law save to impress upon you that the legitimate rights and freedoms currently enjoyed by Hong Kong people will not be affected. Hong Kong will continue to be a free and open society," she said at the StartmeupHK Festival, adding that the financial center would remain a favorable business destination.