Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥) yesterday hailed the outcome of a “patriots only” legislative election that saw a record-low voter turnout and government loyalists sweep every seat.
The territory selected new lawmakers on Sunday under fresh rules imposed by Beijing that dramatically cut directly elected seats and controlled who could stand for office after huge democracy protests convulsed Hong Kong two years ago.
Figures showed that just 30 percent of the electorate cast ballots, the lowest rate both of the period since the territory’s 1997 handover to China and the British colonial era.
Photo: AFP
Lam defended the new system and played down the poor turnout.
“Hong Kong is now back on the right track of one country, two systems,” she told reporters.
“We cannot copy and paste the so-called democratic system or rules of the Western countries,” she said, arguing that the new rules meant “anti-China” elements were now excluded and political calm restored.
When asked why only 1.3 million of the 4.5 million registered voters cast ballots, Lam replied: “What is the reason, I can’t analyze. You may need to turn to other opinion leaders.”
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian (趙立堅) blamed the low turnout on the COVID-19 pandemic and “anti-China elements bent on destroying Hong Kong and the interference of external forces.”
Lam yesterday flew to Beijing to meet Chinese leaders as focus shifts to whether she will get backing for a second term in March when a 1,500-strong Election Committee stacked with Beijing loyalists is to pick the territory’s next leader.
With her public approval ratings at about 36 percent, Lam has so far declined to say whether she would seek a second term.
Hong Kong has never been a full democracy under either Britain or China, the source of years of protests. Beijing responded to months of huge rallies in 2019 by imposing a National Security Law criminalizing much dissent and political reforms to remove anyone deemed unpatriotic.
Most of the territory’s prominent democracy advocates — including many former elected lawmakers — are either in jail, have fled overseas or been disqualified. Alongside screening out “anti-China” elements, directly elected seats were slashed from half to 22 percent. The largest chunk — 40 — were picked by the Election Committee. The remaining 30 were chosen by larger pro-Beijing committees that represent special interest and industry groups.
Only 11 of the 153 candidates who made it through the vetting process were identified as “centrist” or “non-establishment” by local media, but none won enough votes.
The result is a Legislative Council stacked with government loyalists. Analysts said the new system could leave Hong Kong’s rulers even more out of touch with its residents.
“The tension between the authorities and the people will remain in place for a long time while the legislators won’t be mediators because they have to toe Beijing’s line,” Chung Kim-wah (鍾劍華) of the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute said.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
The Philippines is working behind the scenes to enhance its defensive cooperation with Taiwan, the Washington Post said in a report published on Monday. “It would be hiding from the obvious to say that Taiwan’s security will not affect us,” Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro Jr told the paper in an interview on Thursday last week. Although there has been no formal change to the Philippines’ diplomatic stance on recognizing Taiwan, Manila is increasingly concerned about Chinese encroachment in the South China Sea, the report said. The number of Chinese vessels in the seas around the Philippines, as well as Chinese
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
RSS