EU warns as China moves to tighten grip on HK elections
European Union issues warning to China stating that it may take ‘additional steps’ in response to Beijing’s move to grant itself a veto over the selection of Hong Kong lawmakers
China will give itself power to veto any candidate for Hong Kong’s legislature, according to a draft proposal described on Friday by a top Chinese lawmaker that represents a significant blow to the city’s already limited democracy.
The European Union (EU) warned China on Friday that it may take “additional steps” in response to Beijing’s move to grant itself a veto over the selection of Hong Kong lawmakers.
“The EU calls on the authorities in Beijing to carefully consider the political and economic implications of any decision to reform the electoral system of Hong Kong that would undermine fundamental freedoms, political pluralism and democratic principles,” a EU spokesperson said.
A Beijing-controlled election committee in the city would be tasked with “electing a large proportion of Legislative Council members and directly participating in the nomination of all Legislative Council members,” Wang Chen, vicechairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, said in Beijing.
Wang spoke at the opening of China’s annual session of the Congress, which nearly always overwhelmingly approves any proposals put before it.
The 1,200-member election committee in Hong Kong is the same that selects Hong Kong’s chief executive and is stacked with Beijing loyalists.
China has ushered in a sweeping crackdown against dissent in the former British colony after huge and often violent pro-democracy protests rocked the city in 2019.
Hong Kong dominated headlines during last year’s NPC session, when delegates to the chamber endorsed a tough security law designed to stamp out dissent in the city.
Hong Kong has never been a democracy — something that has helped fuel the protests and resentment towards Beijing.
But until recently it maintained a veneer of choice that allowed a small and vocal opposition to flourish at certain local elections. Generally when Hong Kongers are allowed to vote, they vote in droves for pro-democracy candidates.
In recent years authorities have ramped up the disqualification of politicians either sitting in the city’s semi-elected legislature or standing as candidates, based on their political views.
Last month Hong Kong announced its own plans to pass a law vetting all public officials for their political loyalty to Beijing.
Brussels has previously decided to limit exports of equipment that could be used for surveillance in Hong Kong and EU foreign ministers have discussed the possibility of broader sanctions if the situation worsens.
“As agreed by EU foreign ministers, 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,” the spokesperson said.
“If enacted, such reform would have potentially far-reaching negative consequences for democratic principles and democratically elected-representatives in Hong Kong,” the EU statement said.
Meanwhile, four of 47 pro-democracy activists charged under Hong Kong’s tough national security law were released on bail after prosecutors dropped an appeal of an earlier court decision.
The 47 activists were charged on Sunday with conspiracy to commit subversion under the security law over their involvement in an unofficial primary election last year, which authorities say was a plot to subvert state power and paralyse the government.
The four activists — Clarisse Yeung, Lawrence Lau, Hendrick Lui and Mike Lam — appeared in court on Friday prior to being released.
The four are among 15 activists who were granted bail by the court on Thursday after a four-day marathon hearing. Thirty-one defendants were denied bail, and Benny Tai, co-founder of the 2014 Occupy Central opposition movement, withdrew his bail application after he was remanded in custody in a separate case.
However, the Department of Justice appealed the decision to grant bail and all 47 activists remained in custody. Prosecutors dropped their appeal for the four released activists on Friday. The other 11 are to appear in court on Saturday.