A former US diplomat said China’s latest move to tighten its control over Hong Kong would turn the legislative body of the semi-autonomous region into something that is ‘largely ceremonial’.
“I think what we will see in the coming years is that the Legislative Council … will become a largely ceremonial organization – similar to the legislative apparatus in Beijing,” said Kurt Tong, former US consul general and head of the mission. in Hong Kong and Macau, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” on Friday.
Beijing on Thursday approved a draft decision to change Hong Kong’s electoral system. The proposed measures will change the size and composition of Hong Kong’s Legislative and Electoral Committee.
In response, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement on Thursday: “This is Beijing’s last step in hollowing out the space for democratic debates in Hong Kong, contrary to the promises made by China itself. has.”
Meanwhile, the US State Department condemned the move, saying the changes were a “direct attack on Hong Kong’s autonomy, its freedoms and democratic processes.”
Hong Kong Legislative Council or LegCo.
Lui Siu Wai | Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images
Hong Kong is a former British colony that was returned to the Chinese government in 1997. It is run under a ‘one country, two systems’ framework that promises the city greater autonomy than other Chinese cities on the continent, including legislative and independent judiciary.
The city’s leader, Carrie Lam, said in a statement on Thursday that the changes proposed by Beijing were aimed at ensuring that Hong Kong was run by ‘patriots’.
This will “solve the problem of the LegCo that has been making everything political in recent years”, she said, referring to the legislative council. It will ‘effectively deal with’ the reckless movements or internal rifts that tore Hong Kong apart, ‘she added.
The Hong Kong legislature “used to have a limited ability to draft laws. Now, I think it will have even less ability to form laws,” said Tong, who is now a partner at consulting firm The Asia Group.
The latest proposed election changes come to China in less than a year imposed a controversial law on national security in Hong Kong – to circumvent the city’s legislature. The law followed months of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong that sometimes turned violent.
Tong said Beijing aims to “soften political opposition”, but “not a terrible change in the way Hong Kong operates as an economy.”
This means that Hong Kong has so far retained features that have made it an international business center, such as its association with the rest of the world and a large independent judiciary, Tong said.
The business community is closely monitoring the situation in Hong Kong “with some concern”, even if companies do not leave the city, he added.
“I think the national law on national security was the biggest concern regarding the judiciary,” Tong said. “There are reasons for concern, but I think people should just keep a close eye on it and see what happens.”