China approves 'patriot' election law in Hong Kong overhaul

China has passed sweeping changes to Hong Kong's electoral system to limit the number of directly elected seats in the territory's parliament. The move has been taken to tighten Beijing's control over the semi-autonomous territory and to ensure that only "patriotic" members hold key positions in the administration.

On Tuesday, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the top decision-making body of China's rubber-stamp parliament voted unanimously (167-0) to approve the proposed changes to Hong Kong's political system.

With the amendments in the territory's Basic Law, China's power over the election of the committee, that chooses the chief executive of Hong Kong, has increased exponentially. At the same time, a new vetting committee will be formed to ensure that only pro-Beijing "patriotic" candidates are appointed to office.

Addressing a press conference, Hong Kong's chief executive Carrie Lam said that implementing “patriots administering Hong Kong” will mitigate the internal rift in the territory and enhance the governance capability of the "HK-SAR" (Hong Kong-Special Administrative Region). She added that candidates who demonstrate their allegiance to Hong Kong and support the Basic Law will be permitted to run for elections.

"For people who hold different political beliefs, who are more inclined towards more democracy, or who are more conservative, who belong to the left or belong to the right, as long as they meet this very fundamental and basic requirement, I don't see why they could not run for election," Carrie Lam said on Tuesday.

Significantly, the first election after the changes to elect members to Hong Kong's Legislative Council (LegCo) will take place in December.

Previously, Hong Kong's 70-seat LegCo was partially directly-elected by the public, while the rest was chosen by the trade and industry bodies. Under the new system, Hong Kong's Legislature will be expanded to 90 members in which only 20 seats will be directly elected by the public. Furthermore, 40 members will be appointed by the newly empowered Election Committee, while 30 seats will be reserved for functional constituencies represented by different industries.

The "patriots governing Hong Kong" resolution was approved by China’s rubber-stamping parliament earlier this month with the aim of strengthening its power over the territory.

On March 11, the United States condemned the move by Beijing and described it as an "assault on democracy in Hong Kong."

"These actions deny Hong Kongers a voice in their own governance by limiting political participation, reducing democratic representation, and stifling political debate," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.