G7 expresses 'grave concern' over China's sweeping changes to Hong Kong electoral system

The intergovernmental organisation, the Group of Seven (G7) on March 12 demanded China to honour its commitments towards Hong Kong and “end the unwarrented oppression” of democratic activists after Beijing shook-up the financial capital’s electoral system. A striking statement released by G7 nations including the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Japan, said that the sweeping changes introduced by China will “stifle political pluralism”. 

China’s national legislature approved the package introducing the biggest changes in Hong Kong’s electoral system in a bid to ensure that only “patriots” can rule the city.  On Thursday afternoon, the National People’s Congress (NPC) passed the resolution which is also the biggest shake-up to Hong Kong’s electoral system reportedly since its return to China in 1997 under ‘One Country, Two Systems’ arrangements. However, G7 expressed “grave concerns” over China’s advancements to “erode democratic elements.”

G7 in a statement said, “We, 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... 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,” it added.

Who will select Hong Kong’s leaders?

As per the South China Morning Post report, The members of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference which is the country’s top political advisory body will now be part of the Election Committee selecting Hong Kong’s leader next year. Owing to the sweeping changes, the Election Committee will be expanded to accommodate the additional 300 Beijing loyalists who will now become a fifth sector of the total expanded 1,500 member body. However, the remaining four groupings such as business, professional, social and political will continue to have 300 members each.