China reduces elected seats in Hong Kong legislature

China’s top leaders expanded Hong Kong’s legislature to 90 seats, with only 20 of them elected by the public, and introduced a process to vet candidates. The current system allows the public to elect half of the 70-seat legislature. The Hong Kong government is now responsible for revising its electoral laws and holding an election.

What prompted the electoral change? It marks China’s latest attempt to crack down on opposition since the 2019 pro-democracy protests rocked the city. Electoral candidates will need approval from a committee, which will include input from Hong Kong’s national security officers, to determine if they are patriotic enough to govern Hong Kong. The pro-democracy opposition in Hong Kong has rejected the changes as a larger effort to keep them out of office.

Dig deeper: Read June Cheng’s WORLD Magazine report on Hong Kong residents fleeing to Taiwan.