In Hong Kong, âone unpatriotic politician is too many,â Zhang Xiaoming, deputy director of Beijingâs Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, told a press conference Friday.
It was one day after Chinaâs parliament had rubber-stamped a sweeping overhaul of Hong Kongâs electoral system â the biggest change since 1997, when Beijing regained sovereignty over the former British colony. The revamping effectively excludes pro-democracy candidates, part of a broader tightening of controls after two years of mass protests in the city of 7.5 million people.Â
Why We Wrote This
Sweeping changes in Hong Kong aim to put patriots in charge. But what is patriotism? Beijingâs definition contrasts sharply with many Hong Kongersâ.