Japan has expressed its concerns regarding China’s decision to change the electoral system in Hong Kong, saying that the resolution passed by China’s National People’s Congress to change the electoral system in Hong Kong is a major setback to the city’s autonomy and that it “cannot overlook” the resolution.
“The decision this time will further undermine the confidence in the ‘one country, two systems’ framework, as provided for in the Hong Kong Basic Law and the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration,” Japan’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.
The ministry said that Japan’s concerns were growing due to the recent arrest and prosecution of a number of opposition politicians and activists.
It also called on Beijing to hold elections in Hong Kong that were open to candidates “representing a variety of political opinions”.
Less than a year after imposing the draconian National Security Law, China on Thursday voted to pass legislation on Hong Kong’s electoral system. The legislation was passed with only one abstention and 2,895 delegates voting in favour.
The plan will allow the ruling Communist Party to appoint more of Hong Kong’s lawmakers, reducing the share elected by the public. The law could benefit the pro-establishment camp and further quash the political opposition in the city.
Analysts say that Japan is not completely toothless, particularly if it works in close concert with other concerned players.
“From the [Japanese] government, I expect similar comments to last year after the security law was passed, talking about the importance of personal liberties and freedoms and how curtailing those freedoms will impact the city’s commercial activities and, as a consequence, harm China’s interests,” said Go Ito, a professor of international relations at Tokyo’s Meiji University.
Japan was Hong Kong’s fourth-largest trading partner in 2019, while the city was Japan’s ninth-largest trade partner that year, with total merchandise trade between the two coming to HK$373.6 billion that year.
Japan’s condemnation of Hong Kong’s so-called electoral reforms comes after the United Kingdom on Saturday said it considers China to be in a “state of ongoing non-compliance” with the Sino-British joint declaration after Beijing approved sweeping changes for tighter control over Hong Kong.
In a statement, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemned the Chinese decision to impose “radical changes to restrict participation in Hong Kong’s electoral system”
The Group of Seven (G7) nations also issued a statement expressing “grave concerns” about Beijing’s plan to change Hong Kong’s electoral system, which was approved by China’s national legislature.
The European Union also hit out at China for the political conditions in Hong Kong, describing it as an “alarming political deterioration” and a “severe erosion of autonomy, democracy and fundamental freedoms”.
The United States has condemned China’s national legislature approving a resolution to drastically overhaul Hong Kong’s electoral system to ensure only ‘patriots’ can rule the city, a move which is feared to further clamp down on opposition voices in the city.
“We condemn the People’s Republic of China (PRC’s) continuing assaults on democratic institutions in Hong Kong,” US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said during a press briefing.