The Hong Kong flag flies from a ferry on July 2, 1997, a day after the former British colony returned to Chinese rule.
Romeo Gacad | AFP | Getty Images
Beijing on Friday proposed changes to “improve” Hong Kong’s electoral system, as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said China would “resolutely resolve and deter the interference of external forces” in the city.
The announcement was made at the start of China’s annual “two-session” parliamentary meeting.
The Chinese government had previously hinted at possible changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system, which critics said could slow down the city’s pro-democracy politicians.
Last week, Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of China’s State Council, said in a statement in Mandarin translated by CNBC that “legal loopholes” should be closed. of Hong Kong’s electoral system for the city to be governed only. by the “patriots.”
Hong Kong is a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997. The city is governed by the principle of a “country, two systems” that gives it greater autonomy than other cities in mainland China, including electoral rights. limited.
Beijing has been criticized internationally by countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom for undermining the promised Hong Kong autonomy in the framework of a “country, two systems.”
Last year, Beijing ignored Hong Kong legislation to enact a controversial national security law. The movement followed months of pro-democracy protests in the city that sometimes turned violent.