OTTAWA, July 9 — Foreign ministers from the Five Eyes intelligence sharing group discussed the situation in Hong Kong during a conference call yesterday, a Canadian government official told Reuters.

The official declined to elaborate. The Five Eyes groups Canada, the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

Separately, Canada's Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne tweeted on Wednesday that he discussed with his counterparts from the other countries many issues regarding international peace and security.

Beijing imposed a new national security legislation on Hong Kong last week despite protests from residents of the island and Western nations, setting China's freest city and a major financial hub on a more authoritarian track.

Since then Canada has suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and said it could boost immigration from the former British colony. — Reuters