Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday criticized the Chinese government for further restricting democratic freedoms in Hong Kong in response to Beijing’s new measures limiting …
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday criticized the Chinese government for further restricting democratic freedoms in Hong Kong in response to Beijing’s new measures limiting the territory’s political representation. “The Chinese government continues to undermine the democratic institutions of Hong Kong, denying Hong Kong residents the rights that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) itself has guaranteed,” the secretary said in a statement. Hong Kong’s legislature on Thursday passed a measure reducing the number of members who can be elected directly by Hong Kong residents – from 35 to 20 – and increasing the number of Beijing-approved candidates, according to The Associated Press. Forty of the 90 seats in Hong Kong’s legislature will be elected by a largely pro-Beijing committee, the AP reported.
