| US State Department Spokesman Ned Price © AFP=News1 |
The US State Department criticized the Chinese government as a “direct attack on freedom” for foretelling the enforcement of the Hong Kong election law revision at the National People’s Congress (Non-in), which opened on the 5th.
According to Reuters and AFP, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said at a press conference on the 5th (local time), “This measure is a direct attack on Hong Kong’s autonomy, freedom, and democratic processes.” I condemn the continuing attack.”
He argued that the Chinese government’s enforcement of amendments to the election law violated the’Basic Law’, the constitution of Hong Kong that came into force when Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997.
“If these measures are implemented, Hong Kong’s democratic institutions will be greatly shrunken, which is directly contrary to the clear principle of the Basic Law that Hong Kong elections should guarantee universal suffrage.”
“We urge the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to uphold its international obligations and promises and to act consistently with the basic laws of Hong Kong,” he said. “The United States will be with the people of Hong Kong who want universal rights.”
At a press conference the day before, NPC spokesman Jiang Ye-sui introduced the ten agendas of the NPC and announced that he was reviewing the’decision to improve the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region election system’ to realize the principle that’patriots rule Hong Kong.
The NPC is expected to pass a resolution strengthening China’s direct control over Hong Kong on the 11th, the last day of the event, with an overwhelming approval rate.
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