Beijing’s rubber-stamp parliament on Thursday passed reforms and said that only “patriots” can run the city, which was guaranteed a separate system before Britain handed over control in 1997. Group of Seven powers on Friday demanded that China honour commitments in Hong Kong and end “oppression” against democratic activists after Beijing forced sweeping changes of the city’s election system.
Foreign ministers in the G7 group of nations, including the United States, have expressed grave concerns. They said was China’s decision to fundamentally erode democratic elements of the electoral system in Hong Kong.
Such a decision strongly indicates that the authorities in mainland China are determined to eliminate dissenting voices and opinions in Hong Kong,” Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States as well as the European Union said in a joint statement.
This statement was tweeted by British foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, saying that “the recent decision to change Hong Kong Electoral System indicated that authorities in China were determined to eliminate dissenting voices and opinions in Hong Kong.”
Here is the piece of Joint Statement issued by G7 foreign Ministers to China on Changed Electoral System of Hong Kong:
“G7 Foreign Ministers have issued the following statement on China’s decision to erode democratic elements of the electoral system in Hong Kong. The G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, are united in expressing our grave concerns at the Chinese authorities’ decision fundamentally to erode democratic elements of the electoral system in Hong Kong. Such a decision strongly indicates that the authorities in mainland China are determined to eliminate dissenting voices and opinions in Hong Kong.
The package of changes approved by the National People’s Congress, combined with mass arrests of pro-democracy activists and politicians, undermines Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy under the “One Country, Two Systems” principle. The package will also stifle political pluralism, contrary to the aim of moving towards universal suffrage as set out in the Basic Law. Furthermore, the changes will reduce freedom of speech which is a right guaranteed in the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
The people of Hong Kong should be trusted to cast their votes in the best interests of Hong Kong. Discussion of differing views, not silencing of them, is the way to secure the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong.
We call on China to act in accordance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration and its other legal obligations and respect fundamental rights and freedom in Hong Kong, as provided for in the Basic Law. We also call on China and the Hong Kong authorities to restore confidence in Hong Kong’s political institutions and end the unwarranted oppression of those who promote democratic values and the defence of rights and freedoms.
With this move it is very clear that China again has taken a non democratic step on Hong Kong. China’s parliament approved on Thursday a draft decision to change Hong Kong’s electoral system, further reducing democratic representation in the city’s institutions and introducing a mechanism to vet politicians’ loyalty to Beijing. The measures are part of Beijing’s efforts to consolidate its increasingly authoritarian grip over the Asian financial hub following the imposition of a national security law in June 2020. Honk Kong activists urges EU now to ratify the new deal with China. There has been an alarming political deterioration in Honk Kong. The arrest of dozen of pro-democracy activists in January also and Beijing’s this move has overhauled the city Politics.
China is consciously dismantling the “one country, two system” principle by violation of its international commitments and the Hong-Kong Basic Law, said EU high representative and Vice President Joseph Borrell.
Australia and New Zealand said they were deeply concerned, urging Hong Kong and China to allow “genuine avenues” for the city’s people to participate in their governance, and to protect the role of the Legislative Council. Australia and New Zealand also said that “The changes were a “significant step which will further undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy”.
