More than 10,000 thousand people have marched through Hong Kong in support of controversial proposals to bring in new national security laws.

The country's security is everybody's responsibility! Demonstrators

The proposals will outlaw acts of treason and subversion in Hong Kong against China. But opponents say the new measures will curb free speech and political activity.

The proposals have already galvanised public opinion to a degree not seen since Hong Kong was handed back to the Chinese by Britain in 1997.

The rally - organised by a coalition of 27 pro-Beijing groups - is seen as a counterweight to last Sunday's march in protest at the plans, which attracted around 50,000 people.

The organisers of the latest march said that 40,000 people came to support the proposals.

A government consultation exercise due to end on Tuesday has already led to a record 18,000 submissions - and last week's protest march was the biggest since the handover.

'Good law'

The new laws are being mooted under the Basic Law governing the territory, which was negotiated by China and Britain.

Critics of the bill say freedom of speech will be muzzled

Article 23 of this law states that Hong Kong must prohibit "treason, secession, sedition and subversion against China or theft of state secrets".

The Basic Law does not define these offences, stating simply that Hong Kong must enact the requisite legislation "on its own".

"The country's security is everybody's responsibility!" chanted the demonstrator, who also sang patriotic songs and unfurled a huge red Chinese flag to show their support.

"I doubt if there is any modern government in the world which does not have laws to protect national security," Tsang Yok-shing, head of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, said.

"I support, it [the law] will definitely not affect freedoms and rights. This law is good for the country," 78-year-old Yu Hang told the Reuters news agency.

'Clampdown of free speech'

But the government's blueprint for the new national security law, published in September, has raised widespread fears that there will be a clampdown on free speech and political activity of the kind already seen in China.

Critics say it would give Beijing hitherto unprecedented powers over the territory's decision-making.

The coalition ranged against the proposals includes human rights activists, journalists and lawyers - as well as foreign companies and governments who fear they will undermine Hong Kong's status as an international business centre.

But there are signs that the government has taken on board some of the concerns.

The official in charge of security said she thought there would be some adjustments to the proposals in the light of the views received.