The Chinese Parliament voted unanimously on Thursday in favor of a contentious plan to strengthen Beijing’s control on Hong Kong’s electoral structure, which has been criticized by the US.
The “patriots ruling Hong Kong” is a resolution that would cause a pro-Beijing panel to accept a number of candidates it considers to be appropriately “patriotic,” according to the BBC. The vote was 2,895-0, with one abstention, according to the survey.
President Xi Jinping and other party officials watched as the delegates voted online, according to the Associated Press. The next move is a comprehensive bill that could be introduced in the city within a few months, according to sources.
Earlier, Ned Price, the State Department’s spokesperson, called the electoral amendments “a deliberate assault on Hong Kong’s sovereignty, Hong Kong’s liberties and the democratic process, a reduction in participation, a reduction in democratic representation and a stifling of national dialogue to defy the people’s clear will.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that the US will keep taking measures against “egregious abuses of democracy and human rights in Hong Kong,” as per the Financial Times.
Beijing has refuted the allegation and has said that the initiative is crucial to promoting peace in the region.
Reuters said, “The reforms effectively preclude any chance of resistance impacting the results of the elections in the former British Colonies.”
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam stated earlier this week that the city council “welcomes” the improvements to the city’s electoral structure.
“There are loopholes in the voting processes, as well as weaknesses in the Hong Kong systems,” Lam claimed after returning from the National People’s Congress in Beijing. “I completely understand that this is not a matter that can be dealt with solely by the government.”
She said, “I am pleased that the central authorities have again exercised their constitutional powers to help solve this issue in Hong Kong.”