China is considering handing out three-year jail terms to people who disrespect its national anthem under a new law which could be rolled out to Hong Kong, media said on Tuesday.

The strict new rules could spark a backlash in the former British colony where football fans have booed the anthem in recent matches, sparking fury from authorities and highlighting divisions between the city and the Chinese mainland.

China’s rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC), is considering strengthening a new law that came into effect earlier this month that is aimed at ensuring the “appropriate use” of the anthem, Xinhua news agency said.

“Punishment ranges from removal of political rights and public surveillance to criminal detention and imprisonment of up to three years,” it added.

When the National Anthem Law was first passed in September, it was announced that those who disrespected the song could be detained for 15 days.

The Xinhua report did not explain why penalties appeared to have been substantially strengthened, but it said the Standing Committee of the NPC was considering extending the new laws to Hong Kong and the former Portuguese colony of Macau.