Hong Kong
Pro-democracy candidates failed to win a majority of seats in Hong Kong’s legislative elections this week, despite getting a clear majority of votes. A record 1.6 million voters turned out, and two-thirds of them chose the democrats. But the electoral rules, set by Beijing, allocate half the seats to industry groups that support the central government, while the rest are distributed according to a complicated system that favors pro-government candidates. The legislative council has little real power, but democrats had hoped for a majority so they could lobby for full elections in the future.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.