China NPC: China set to overhaul HK electoral system

China NPC: Beijing plans to overhaul Hong Kong’s electoral system to ensure “patriots” are in charge, a senior official said. Moreover, a draft decision on the reforms will be discussed at China’s biggest political meeting of the year which began on Friday in Beijing.

The assembly of lawmakers is called the National People’s Congress (NPC) and runs for a week. The reforms are expecting to give Beijing even more control over how the area is governing. While it comes as 47 pro-democracy activists were charged with “subversion” under new security law. That critics say is being used by Beijing to crush dissent in the city.

On the other hand, the meeting typically happens in early March with nearly 3,000 delegates from all around the country. Representing provinces, autonomous regions, and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau. While in theory, it is the country’s most powerful institution, in reality, it is seen largely as a rubber-stamp parliament. This means it approves plans and policies that have been decided already by the central government.

On the other hand, the NPC meeting runs in parallel to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a meeting of the most powerful political advisory body in the country. That already began on Thursday, and collectively the gatherings refer to as the “Two Sessions”.

What do we know about the changes planned for Hong Kong?

Behind on Thursday Zhang Yesui, a spokesman for the NPC said the changes had the constitutional power to improve Hong Kong’s system. Meanwhile, Hong Kong media later reported that they would include increasing the size of an election committee. To select Hong Kong’s leader from 1,200 to 1,500 and the city’s legislature from 70 to 90 seats. On the other hand, elections for the legislature would likely be delayed to September 2022, the South China Morning Post reported. 

Moreover, Hong Kong is a part of China but has been governed under the principle of “one country, two systems”. Meaning it has its own legal system and rights including free speech and freedom of the press. 

However, many in Hong Kong and rights groups have accused China of eroding those freedoms and autonomy in recent years. There were months of violent protests in 2019. Chinese Communist Party (CCP), really wants to remove the voices that they don’t like to hear. So we will probably be expecting more constraints on the ability of people to stand for elections.

What else is on the agenda?

The NPC formally approves the 14th Five-Year-Plan that is announcing at the end of last year. Moreover, China is the only major economy in the world that publishes a five-year policy plan, and it has been doing so since 1953. While it will also be championing the “dual-circulation” model where China will be spurring domestic consumption while catering to export markets overseas.

On Friday morning, China announced that it had set its economic growth target at above 6%. Beijing did not set an economic growth target last for the first time. As it was dealing with the economic fallout from the coronavirus. Meanwhile, the NPC is also expecting to discuss environmental issues, including plans to make China carbon neutral by 2060.

What is the virus situation like now in China?

Virus, it’s largely under control for the majority of people, life has gone back to normal. Moreover, China was the only major economy in the world to post growth last year. As per Prof Chong, the “success of China in dealing with Covid” is likely to feature largely in this year’s NPC.

Moreover,  President Xi Jinping was supposing to have come up to his term limit. So I think he will probably really want to furnish his credentials, I think a lot of it will be highlighting successes under Mr. Xi.

China dropped presidential term limits in 2018, which would allow Mr. Xi to remain beyond his two terms. President Xi is also likely to highlight China’s achievement in “eradicating absolute poverty“. Xi had promised that China would become a ‘moderately-well-off society’ by 2021, said Prof Hillman. He will no doubt declare success at the NPC.