China responds to Western criticism of Hong Kong election

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BEIJING – China has hit back at Western countries’ criticism of the Hong Kong election, accusing them of interfering in its affairs, the BBC reported.

The Hong Kong legislature’s vote on Sunday saw more than 90% of available seats go to pro-Beijing candidates.

Prior to the vote, China had made sweeping changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system, including a rule that allowed Beijing to control candidates.

Several countries said the poll had eroded democracy in Hong Kong.

On Monday, following the infrequent election results, the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand said China’s new rules had “eliminated any significant political opposition”.

“Since the handover, candidates of diverse political views have stood for election in Hong Kong. This election has turned the tide,” said the group, also known as the Five Eyes Alliance.

Separately, the group of developed countries of the G7 and the European Union have also expressed concern. The G7 urged Beijing to end “the unjustified oppression of those who promote democratic values ​​and the defense of rights and freedoms”.

On Tuesday morning, the Chinese Embassy in Australia responded with the sentencing. He accused the Five Eyes nations of “reversing the truth” and attempting to “meddle in Hong Kong politics, interfere in China’s internal affairs and hamper China’s developments.”

“Hong Kong is the Hong Kong of China,” he said, adding that the authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong “knew best how to ensure the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.”

He also defended the election, saying it was “fair, equitable, open” for all voters and was “supported by all communities in Hong Kong society”.

Only 30.2% of the 4.2 million registered voters in Hong Kong turned out for the poll on Sunday, the lowest turnout in decades.

Analysts said this reflected voters’ awareness of the limits of the election. Democracy activists have described it as a sham.

Former lawmakers who criticized Beijing have been barred from running, most of them in exile or in prison.

This time around, voters could also only vote for 20 places, less than half of the positions previously available to be elected by the public.

Hong Kong was owned by Great Britain and was granted certain freedoms that are not available on the mainland, most notably the right to vote, when it was returned to China in 1997. These freedoms are said to last until in 2050.

But Beijing’s crackdown on political dissent over the past two years has severely restricted those rights. A sweeping national security law passed last year has also broadly criminalized any anti-China action.

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