EU Warns China For Changing Election Rules In Hong Kong – Free PDF

What has happened?

• Less than a year after imposing the draconian National Security Law,
• China has launched a legislative process for drastic electoral system reform in Hong Kong, which could benefit the pro-establishment camp and further smother the political opposition in the city.
• China’s top law-making body has unveiled plans to ensure only “patriots” can govern Hong Kong.
• Premier Li Keqiang, addressing the National People’s Congress (NPC), warned the world not to interfere.
• Critics say Beijing is crushing dissent and removing the “one country, two systems” agreement it made with the UK.
• Under the agreement, Hong Kong, a former British colony, was allowed to continue with its own legal system and have rights including free speech and freedom of the press.

• Lord Chris Patten, former governor of Hong Kong, said China’s Communist Party had “taken the biggest step so far to obliterate Hong Kong’s freedoms and aspirations for greater democracy under the rule of law”.

So, what electoral changes china is bringing?

• NPC vice-chairman Wang Chen announced to the NPC that changes were needed as “the rioting and turbulence that occurred in Hong Kong society reveals that the existing electoral system has clear loopholes and deficiencies“.
• He said “risks in the system” needed to be removed to ensure “patriots” were in charge.
• The week-long NPC will discuss the elections issue and no text has yet been made public, although Mr Wang and media sources did set out some areas to be discussed.
• The city’s heavily pro-Beijing electoral committee would get new powers over the parliament, or Legislative Council (LegCo).
• The committee would effectively be able to vet all LegCo candidates and elect many of its members, diluting the number directly elected by the public.

• An election committee – controlled by Beijing – will not only screen all candidates standing in elections,
• But also directly appoint “a large proportion” of the Legislative Council.
• It will be almost impossible for any candidate advocating democratic change to be elected to Office – and that’s the way China’s senior leadership likes it.

But when china already controls the council, why change?

• Willie Lam, China analyst at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told that if the new NPC measures passed it will effectively wipe out any remaining opposition.
• What must have spooked the Communist Party was the drubbing handed to them at the hands of pro-democracy candidates,
• At the most recent district council elections – with those advocating democratic reform taking control of all but one municipality.

• The EU has warned that it may take “additional steps” over the plans announced on Friday.
• It called on Beijing to “carefully consider the political and economic implications on any decision to reform the electoral system of Hong Kong,
• That would undermine fundamental freedoms, political pluralism and democratic principles“.

• “The reform is needed to implement ‘patriots governing Hong Kong’, and for advancing ‘one country, two systems’…
• It is entirely constitutional, lawful and justified for the National People’s Congress (NPC) to improve Hong Kong’s electoral system and ensure “patriots administering Hong Kong.“
• “If a person does not love the country, how can he or she love Hong Kong?”

Q) The First Opium War (1839-1842) ended with?

1. British surrender to superior Chinese forces
2. Russian takeover of the poppy fields of Afghanistan
3. British receiving permanent control of Hong Kong
4. The banning of the import of narcotics in China

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