The Chinese National People’s Congress (NPC) has passed a resolution to reform Hong Kong‘s electoral system almost unanimously, and the German-language press has attacked it in a one-sided manner. Business Daily believes that Beijing‘s move will further reduce the likelihood that the EU Parliament will approve the China-EU Investment Agreement. The Neue Zürcher Zeitung lamented that Hong Kong’s “partial democracy” has thus degenerated into a “fake democracy”.
Only one person abstained from voting on the motion to reform Hong Kong’s electoral system in the National People’s Congress
In an article titled “Hong Kong’s electoral reform will further damage China’s relations with Europe and the United States,” the Düsseldorf-based German newspaper “Handelsblatt” noted that Western countries will respond even more strongly to Beijing’s move, while the Chinese Communist authorities are now simply ignoring the consequences.
“The atmosphere in Hong Kong has previously changed dramatically. By virtue of the national security law that came into effect last summer, the authorities have arrested more than a hundred pro-democracy as well as opposition figures. Journalists have begun to self-censor, and foreign companies fear that their employees will be arrested under the national security law for inappropriate speech.”
“The current reform of the electoral system will further suppress the opposition in Hong Kong and give the Chinese Communist Party more room to maneuver to interfere in Hong Kong affairs.”
“The consequences of this reform will therefore go far beyond Hong Kong itself; it will also involve German businesses. Beijing’s actions will further worsen China’s relations with Europe and the United States.”
The article then takes stock of previous warnings from the EU and the U.S. about China’s attempts to revise Hong Kong’s electoral system, going on to note: “Hong Kong will be the first test of the new relationship between Europe and the U.S. since President Biden took office: will the EU take a firm stand against Beijing on the side of the U.S., or will it once again hide behind verbal warnings?”
“Beijing’s actions could also jeopardize the hard-negotiated China-EU investment agreement. This is because the likelihood of the European Parliament ratifying the agreement has been further reduced.”
“On the Hong Kong issue, the Chinese Communist authorities seem to ignore all opposition. In fact, the opposition in Hong Kong was already on its last legs before the reform of the electoral system. However, Beijing did not stop there, but instead took tougher measures. Clearly, the Chinese government has no regard for the possible consequences of this reform.”
On March 3, some protesters held signs near the West Kowloon courthouse demanding that the authorities release political prisoners
The Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung commented in an article titled “China expels the last vestiges of democracy from Hong Kong’s Legislative Council” that although there would still be elections in Hong Kong after the reform, Xi Jinping would be the one who would really be in power.
“Looking back now at the wave of demonstrations in Hong Kong in 2019, it is clear that it was the last struggle of the democratic movement in Hong Kong before Xi Jinping’s iron fist fell. Xi Jinping’s most powerful weapon is the law. Beijing first introduced Hong Kong’s national security law, a law whose main purpose is repression, not security. Now, the National People’s Congress has passed a resolution to reform Hong Kong’s electoral system. By virtue of these two legal means, Hong Kong’s partial democracy has evolved into a fake democracy.”
“Beijing’s use of legal means to crack down on Hong Kong’s democracy movement is far more elegant than the Burmese military government that used tanks and bullets against the protesters. And the rhetoric coming out of the mouths of Beijing’s authoritarians is so wonderful: the Hong Kong national security law restores ‘stability and order’ and combats only ‘a small group of lawbreakers’; the new electoral system is ‘an improvement on the existing Hong Kong electoral system’ and will ‘create a democracy with Hong Kong characteristics.'”
The article argues that Beijing’s use of legal means is itself fraught with contradictions, as the new bill overrides Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems and a high degree of autonomy,” which is enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which has the force of international law. Moreover, allowing only “patriots” to run for election in the future runs counter to the goal of universal suffrage for the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council set out in the Hong Kong Basic Law.
“Now, Beijing has succeeded in stifling open dissent in Hong Kong society. For the Chinese government, the pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong in the summer of 2019 meant a loss of control and a loss of face. The international sympathy and support the demonstration movement garnered was even more worrisome to Beijing. Pro-communist media outlets at the Time described the demonstrations as a U.S.-inspired movement whose goal was to overthrow the Communist Party.”
The author goes on to write that the introduction of the National Security Law a year later has already left Hong Kong’s opposition either in jail, exile, or fearfully self-censoring. And the new electoral system will surely leave no one in the Hong Kong Legislative Council to oppose Beijing anymore.” The Chinese Communist Party had been manipulating the situation in Hong Kong in secret, and now they are openly in political power without opposition.”
The article also fears that the new U.S. administration, which is fretting over the Epidemic, is likely to have no time to worry about Hong Kong, and that this has bolstered Xi’s confidence and allowed him to do so without concern for U.S. sanctions.” Now, Washington’s invitation of Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Alaska to meet with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan reinforces the Perception of Communist leaders that they can do whatever they want in Hong Kong because the international community cannot do without China.”
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