Washington, Mar 6(UNI) The United States on Saturday called China’s moves to change the Hong Kong electoral system “a direct attack” upon its autonomy and democratic processes, saying Washington is working at “galvanising collective action” against Chinese rights abuses.
The US condemnation came shortly after Beijing proposed a legislation that would tighten its increasingly authoritarian grip on Hong Kong by making changes to the electoral committee that chooses the city’s leader, giving it new power to nominate legislative candidates.
The measure, set to be approved during a week-long session of China’s rubber-stamp parliament, would further marginalise a democratic opposition decimated after Beijing imposed national security legislation following anti-government protests that rocked Hong Kong in 2019.
The US condemns China’s “continuing assault on democratic institutions in Hong Kong”, State Department spokesman Ned Price told a news briefing, adding that Washington was working to rally its allies and partners to speak in one voice and condemning China’s abuses against minority Muslims in Xinjiang and the “repression” taking place in Hong Kong, Al Jazeera reported.
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