The Hong Kong flag flies from a ferry on July 2, 1997, a day after the former British colony returned to Chinese rule.
Romeo Gacad | AFP | Getty images
Beijing on Friday proposed changes to “improve” Hong Kong’s electoral system, as Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang said China will “resolutely guard against interference from outside forces” in the city.
The announcement was made at the start of China’s annual parliamentary meeting “Two Sessions”.
The Chinese government had previously hinted at possible changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system that critics say could hold back the city’s pro-democracy politicians.
Last week, Xia Baolong, director of the China State Council’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, said in a statement translated into Mandarin by CNBC that “legal loopholes” in Hong Kong’s electoral system should be closed so that the city is run alone. by “patriots.”
Hong Kong is a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997. The city is governed by a “one country, two systems” principle that gives it more autonomy than other mainland Chinese cities, including limited electoral rights.
Beijing has been criticized internationally – by the US and the UK, among others – for undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy promised under “one country, two systems”.
Last year, Beijing circumvented Hong Kong legislation to enact a controversial national security law. The move followed months of pro-democracy protests in the city that turned violent at times.