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Hong Kong: China approves Top Stories

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Critics say the electoral reforms will effectively wipe out any remaining opposition when enacted

China's legislature has approved a resolution to overhaul Hong Kong's

electoral system - its latest move to tighten control over the city. Features
The "patriots governing Hong Kong" resolution was passed at the National
People's Congress (NPC) on Thursday.

It will reduce democratic representation and allow a pro-Beijing panel to vet

and elect candidates.

The former British colony was handed back to China in 1997 under a model
called "one country, two systems".

Under the deal, which gave the territory freedoms not available in mainland
China, Hong Kong also had its own mini-constitution and an elected
parliament. Why science could free Australian
'serial killer'
The latest Chinese move follows a series of measures that have tightened
Beijing's grip on Hong Kong, including the passing of a national security law
and a crackdown on activists and opposition politicians.

Detailed legislation will now be draed and could be enacted in Hong Kong
within the next few months. The country that says Covid isn't a
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China NPC: Beijing to overhaul Hong Kong electoral system

The UK says it will "hollow out the space for democratic debate" in Hong
Kong.

Other critics say they will effectively wipe out any remaining opposition.

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Almost 24 years aer China took back control of Hong Kong from Britain, this
was the moment it remade the free-wheeling, sometimes unruly territory's
political system in its own image. The symbolism couldn't have been starker.
Seated in the Great Hall of the People, 2,895 delegates voted in favour of the Living beneath Etna's volcanic
changes, none against. Whether the one abstention was a miscue on the eruptions
electronic voting buttons, or a lone act of defiance, we'll never know.

There have been other milestones in recent years at which observers have
pronounced the death of Hong Kong. The national security law, for example,
has all but wiped out the ability to express dissent on the streets.

Once again, China is arguing that this reform - with its political loyalty test for
candidates - is necessary to ensure stability. But critics will argue it abolishes
another fundamental underpinning of the city's special freedoms - the ability
to channel dissent through the political process itself.
China's parliament remakes Hong
The pro-democracy protests, although sometimes violent, were accompanied
Kong in its own image
by mass popular support with as many as two million taking peacefully to the
streets. In late 2019, the democrats won a landslide in Hong Kong's local
elections, the city's only truly democratic ballot. That may have spooked
Beijing more than barricades and petrol bombs. But is its victory now
complete? "It is very sad," the former Democratic Party chairperson Emily Lau
told me. "But I insist this doesn't mean the game is over for Hong Kong
because the fight will go on."

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Thousands of lawmakers gathered as the annual NPC meeting began on Friday in Beijing

'I play digital music through my

What does this mean for Hong 1949 radio'

Kong?
Hong Kong's parliament - or Legislative Council (LegCo) - helps to make Hong
Kong's laws.

It is made up of 70 seats - but only about half are directly voted for by the
public. In recent years, some of the seats have been filled by pro-democracy
figures.

The other half has mostly been filled by smaller groups representing special The Scottish mercenary hired to kill
interests such as business, banking and trade, sectors which are historically Pablo Escobar
pro-Beijing.

The proposed new law will give Hong Kong's heavily pro-Beijing electoral
vetting committee the power to vet all LegCo candidates and elect many of its PAID AND PRESENTED BY

members.

Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam says she and Hong Kong's government "firmly
support" the move.

What has Hong Kong's reaction been

like?
"What they're really referring to [when they say 'patriot'] is that they will pick
the people that they like, someone who is one of them," one resident told BBC The Innovation equation:
Chinese.
Experiences from a global technology
giant on how they accelerated innovation
"Basically, it's a step backwards, becoming more and more like the mainland,"
from both inside and outside their
he said.
company
But another resident, identified as Ms Ho, said she supported the law.

"Hong Kong has already returned [to China]. So under this situation, the
Chinese government's law should be the framework for our [patriot law]," she Elsewhere on the BBC
said.

What about international reaction?

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the dilution of elections in Hong
Kong would further undermine trust in China.

However, the Chinese embassy in London's chargé d'affaires Yang Xiaoguang

told the BBC that the UK and China had a "different definition" of democracy. Lyrics quiz
Asked about possible UK sanctions against Chinese individuals over Hong Have you been getting these songs wrong?
Kong and other issues, Mr Yang said China would "safeguard our interests at
any cost".

Earlier, the US condemned China's "continuing assault on democratic

institutions in Hong Kong".

What's the context to all this?

Hong Kong was handed back to China from British control in 1997, but under Feeling hot
a unique agreement - a mini-constitution called the Basic Law and a so-called What happens to your body in extreme heat?
"one country, two systems" principle.

This is supposed to protect certain freedoms for Hong Kong: freedom of

assembly and speech, an independent judiciary and some democratic rights -
freedoms that no other part of mainland China has. Most Read

But fears that this model was being eroded led to huge pro-democracy Pentagon rebukes Fox News for
protests in 2019. mocking female troops 1
Some protests turned violent and last year, the NPC passed a controversial
national security law, which effectively reduces Hong Kong's autonomy and Netflix considers crackdown on
made it easier to punish demonstrators. password sharing 2
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Beijing said the law would target "sedition" and bring stability. hospital 3
Since the law has been enacted in June, around 100 people have been
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arrested, including China critic and media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who was denied
bail and is in detention awaiting trial. Dayʼ from virus 4
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ever before 5
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to resign 9
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The HK pro-democracy protesters who face a tough decision over continuing their fight or fleeing to the UK

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