Lord Patten: through changing HK's electoral system "the CCP has shown the world once again that it cannot be trusted."

Today, the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress formally adopted changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system.

Amendments to Hong Kong’s elections include the reduction of directly elected members of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council from 35 to 20 and the increase of the Legislative Council’s size from 70 to 90, to ensure the dilution of the influence of directly elected members.

Under Beijing’s changes anyone wishing to stand for election will need to be vetted by a newly established committee to ensure the city is “governed by patriots”. The National Security Committee and the national security police will provide reports on each candidate to assist the vetting committee.

Through the formalisation of its changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system, China is now permanently in breach of its international treaty commitments under the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which guarantees Hong Kong’s electoral system.

Commenting on the electoral changes, Lord Patten of Barnes, the last British governor of Hong Kong and a patron of Hong Kong Watch said:

“China's communist parliament has taken the biggest step so far to obliterate Hong Kong's freedoms and aspirations for greater democracy under the rule of law. Breaking all its promises, not least those made by Deng Xiaoping, the Chinese Communist Party has ordained that in order to be a Chinese patriot you must swear allegiance to the Communist Party. This completely destroys the pledge of one-country, two-systems. The Chinese Communist Party has shown the world once again that it cannot be trusted. It is a continuing and brutal danger to all who believe in free and open societies.”

Benedict Rogers, Hong Kong Watch’s Chief Executive, said:

“These amendments to Hong Kong’s electoral system present not just a breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration and Hong Kong’s Basic Law but a wholesale re-writing of the rules by Beijing. It is clear that President Xi is not even willing to play lip-service to the idea of One Country, Two Systems or to China’s international treaty obligations anymore.

Under these changes the majority of Hong Kongers face permanent political disenfranchisement, with any candidate who offers criticism of Beijing or support for Hong Kong’s autonomy and democracy effectively barred from participation. Of course, most of the democratic slate are now in jail anyway. In Hong Kong, popular public sentiment is being replaced with totalitarianism.

Such a cynical and permanent re-writing of Hong Kong’s Basic Law requires a firm response from the British Government, including the swift introduction of Magnitsky sanctions and the suspension of any further trade talks with China.”