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Bloomberg
Hong Kong’s opposition-free legislature is expected to approve sweeping changes to the city’s electoral system ordered by the Chinese leadership, dramatically curtailing the ability of dissenting voices to participate in government.
The amendments poised to be approved on Wednesday by the Legislative Council would create a review committee to vet candidates for elected office to ensure they are patriotic to China. All candidates must also be approved by national security officials in the Hong Kong police force to determine whether they can be trusted to uphold local laws.
The bill’s passage will mark the culmination of Beijing’s efforts to take control of how the former British colony chooses its leaders, and give China the ability to veto any candidate for office following historic and sometimes violent unrest in 2019.
Chinese lawmakers passed a proposal in March to overhaul how the city chooses its chief executive, and give a body dominated by pro-Beijing elites more power to nominate legislators. Chinese President Xi Jinping later signed the final order backing the changes.