China says 'bright' prospect for democracy in Hong Kong
A police officer stands guard below China and Hong Kong flags during a flag raising ceremony, a week ahead of the Legislative Council election in Hong Kong
Sun, December 19, 2021
BEIJING (Reuters) -Prospects for democracy in Hong Kong are "bright", China said on Monday in a white paper, a day after pro-Beijing candidates won a legislative election in the city in record low turnout after a sweeping Chinese crackdown on its freedoms.
China had "restored order" and brought "democracy back on track" in Hong Kong, the State Council said in the white paper on developments in the former British colony.
The Asian financial hub was rocked by anti-Beijing and pro-democracy protests for several years before Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on it in 2020.
The white paper attributed the turmoil to "anti-China forces" and the "foreign enemies" backing them, adding that it had "advanced the system of democracy" in Hong Kong by amending the election methods for its legislative assembly.
Candidates in Sunday's election were vetted for "patriotism" and pro-democracy candidates were largely absent, having declined to run or been jailed or forced into exile.
Pro-Beijing candidates swept to victory.
(Reporting by Yew Lun Tian; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Robert Birsel)
Mon, December 20, 2021
Pro-Beijing candidates claimed victory in Hong Kong's Legislative Council (LegCo) election under the new "patriots only" system, per Reuters.
Why it matters: This was the first LegCo since Beijing lawmakers passed a sweeping law to ensure only "patriotic" figures can run for positions of power — which U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called a "denial of democracy."
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Voter turnout was the lowest on record — 30.2%, the BBC notes.
All candidates running to be members of the electoral college were vetted by China's government.
What they're saying: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam acknowledged at a news conference Monday the low voter turnout, but said she couldn't outline the "specifics" of this, according to Reuters.
"But 1.35 million coming out to vote — it cannot be said that it was not an ... election that did not get a lot of support from citizens," Lam added.
Kenneth Chan, a political scientist at Hong Kong's Baptist University, told AFP the turnout was "hugely embarrassing" for the government.
In a joint statement, Blinken and his counterparts from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the U.K., expressed their "grave concern" over the election outcome.
"Since handover, candidates with diverse political views have contested elections in Hong Kong. Yesterday’s election has reversed this trend. The overhaul of Hong Kong’s electoral system introduced earlier this year reduced the number of directly elected seats and established a new vetting process to severely restrict the choice of candidates on the ballot paper."
"These changes eliminated any meaningful political opposition. Meanwhile, many of the city’s opposition politicians ... remain in prison pending trial, with others in exile overseas."
"We urge the People’s Republic of China to act in accordance with its international obligations to respect protected rights and fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong."
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