‘Attack on Political Rights’: China Cracks Down on Hong Kong’s Electoral System

‘Only patriots’ will be allowed to govern the former British colony, Beijing announced Friday morning on its latest attempt to crack down on pro-democracy movements.

CHINA ON FRIDAY announced planned changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system that will align its most powerful legislative bodies closer with Beijing, undermine the authority of its local government and ensure that “only patriots” govern the former British colony.

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The news follows a series of grinding reforms China has forced upon the previously semi-autonomous city-state in recent months — sometimes violently — under the auspices of a so-called national security law that seeks to crush the pro-democracy movement there.

The move, scheduled to be enacted by March 11, comes as Beijing steps up its warnings to outside powers, namely in the West, not to interfere with what it considers its own.

“The reform adds the elements of democracy with Hong Kong characteristics and enhances the width and stability of Hong Kong’s democracy by enabling the power of governing Hong Kong to be only held in the hands of patriots,” Chinese state media wrote Friday morning. “This unprecedented political reform is also designed to prevent Hong Kong from descending into political infighting with its democracy and governance downgrading.”

Analysts say the move further hampers the already dwindling opportunities that democracy advocates had for reforming Hong Kong’s slide toward autocratic rule.

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“The electoral changes being discussed, if passed, will prevent any candidate advocating democratic reforms to be elected to office,” says Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “The current system is already stacked against democracy advocates, so further changes seem unnecessary, but perhaps reflect Beijing’s obsession with wiping out dissent and exerting complete control.”

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The changes center on Hong Kong’s mini-constitution known as the Basic Law. They include shifting the number of members of Hong Kong’s Election Committee — its electoral college tasked with selecting the chief executive — and packing it with Beijing loyalists. It will also oversee all nominations for candidates to the Legislative Council, Hong Kong’s main legislature, and undermine the power of the local governments’ District Council.

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, said Friday morning that “China’s stance toward Hong Kong has won the understanding and support of most members of the international community.” Another spokeswoman tweeted Friday morning that “The Republic of Belarus, on behalf of 70 countries, voiced support” for China’s administration of Hong Kong. She did not mention Belarus’ own slide toward autocracy in recent months.

Charles Wong, a member of Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing Bauhinia Party, told the BBC on Friday morning that China defines “patriots” similarly to how the U.S. or U.K. do.

“No one is saying you have to be loyal to Beijing,” he said. “You have to be respectful, you have to defend your constitution.”

Wong claimed Western powers brand Hong Kong’s opposition movements as “freedom fighters.” He cited the Jan. 6 siege at the U.S. Capitol in which a violent mob of Trump’s supporters attempted to overturn the electoral process as an example of why such thinking can be dangerous.

No U.S. official had commented publicly on the news as of Friday morning. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, the European Union lashed out at the move, warning China against further action and threatening retaliation — perhaps sanctions — if it proceeds.

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“Such reform would have potentially far-reaching negative consequences for democratic principles and democratically elected-representatives in Hong Kong,” EU officials said in a statement early Friday. “It would also run counter to previous electoral reforms in Hong Kong and renege on the commitments enshrined in Articles 45 and 68 of the Basic Law to introduce universal suffrage in the elections of the Chief Executive and Legislative Council.”

“The EU stands ready to take additional steps in response to any further serious deterioration of political freedoms and human rights in Hong Kong, which would be against China’s domestic and international obligations,” it said.

Jeppe Kofod, Denmark’s minister of foreign affairs, called the reforms an “attack on political rights,” according to a translation of his tweet.

Hong Kong has long operated under a “one country, two systems” compromise that brought it out from under Western influence in 1997 and into Beijing’s control. China, which has valued the financial center’s access to otherwise untouchable foreign markets, had previously pledged not to attempt to leave its form of government unchanged for at least a few more decades.

China first announced in May that it planned to bring Hong Kong under greater control. The move followed widespread protests in Hong Kong in 2019 over a since-withdrawn extradition bill that later grew into a wider pro-democracy movement. China considers its oversight of Hong Kong as central to its legitimacy, along with its influence over Taiwan and Tibet, and has increasingly fired back at foreign powers that seek to undermine that control.

The Trump administration, which made containing China a cornerstone of its foreign policy, blasted the move at the time, prompting similar vitriol in response from Beijing.

The Biden administration has attempted to take a more diplomatic approach to its relations with China, while also stressing the importance of rallying regional allies to help offset its influence. Pentagon officials have repeatedly referred to China as the biggest single “pacing challenge” that the Defense Department faces.

Paul D. Shinkman, Senior Writer, National Security

Paul Shinkman is a national security correspondent. He joined U.S. News & World Report in 2012 … READ MORE

Tags: Hong Kong, China, elections, politics, Beijing, violence, democracy, activism, world, world news