Washington/Beijing: The G7 nations today underscored “grave” concern over the selection process for the Chief Executive in Hong Kong and described it as China’s “continued assault on political pluralism and fundamental freedoms”.
China retorted by asserting that Hong Kong’s election, as well as the result, is purely China’s internal affair, on which foreign forces are in no position to make “wanton comments”.
The Sixth-Term Chief Executive election of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) was concluded on May 8, 2022, and John Lee Ka-chiu, a former security chief who is considered a Beijing loyalist, who was the chief architect of the crackdown on Hong Kong’s antigovernment protests in 2019, was elected to be the new Chief Executive.
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, claimed that the current nomination process and resulting appointment were a stark departure from the aim of universal suffrage and further eroded the ability of Hong Kongers to be legitimately represented.
They accused China and Hong Kong authorities of moving away from the ultimate aim of universal suffrage as set out in Hong Kong’s Basic Law by increasing the number of non-elected members appointed to the Election Committee and dramatically curtailing the number of voters eligible to participate in the Committee elections last year.
“We are deeply concerned about this steady erosion of political and civil rights and Hong Kong’s autonomy. We continue to call on China to act in accordance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration and its other legal obligations. We urge the new Chief Executive to respect protected rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, as provided for in the Basic Law, and ensure the court system upholds the rule of law,” the G7 statement said.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian claimed John Lee Ka-chiu was elected with “overwhelming support”, claiming that the election was conducted “in a fair, just and orderly fashion in accordance with laws and regulations”.
Lijian further claimed that the result “fully demonstrates” that the new electoral system is democratic, advanced, and in keeping with the principle of One Country, Two Systems as well as the SAR’s realities.
“It embodies the mainstream public opinion and strong consensus of forging ahead in solidarity shared by all sectors in Hong Kong. We believe the new Chief Executive will surely lead the new administration and people from all walks of life to jointly open up new vistas in the SAR with good governance,” he said.
China accused the European Union of “smearing” the process and result of the election “just as the new electoral system is taking root and democracy is improving in Hong Kong”. He added: “This fully exposes their true face of using democracy and freedom as a cover to meddle in China’s internal affairs and undermine Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability. They applaud fake democracy featuring pan-politicization and rampant violence but feel agitated by true democracy that suits Hong Kong’s realities and implements the principle of patriots administering Hong Kong. The Chinese people, including our Hong Kong compatriots, have all seen through such double standards on democracy. In today’s Hong Kong, the old playbook and the meddling tricks no longer work.”
– global bihari bureau
