China reneges

last updated 8 January 2015

Hong Kong

Thousands of demonstrators marched through Hong Kong this week to protest China’s decision to regulate Hong Kong elections. Beijing ruled last week that the Chinese government, and not Hong Kong voters, would determine the form and timing of elections in the province. The sudden announcement outraged Hong Kong democracy activists, who were planning for fully democratic elections by 2007. The activists said China was illegally reversing the “one country, two systems” principle that had granted Hong Kong relative autonomy, and they rallied some 15,000 people to protest. “This shows the anger of Hong Kong,” said campaigner Leung Kwok-hung. “A confrontation is unavoidable.”