Beijing could tighten its grip on Hong Kong further, showing lack of concern for international outcry

China’s central authorities could be prepared to disregard international outcry over its crackdown on Hong Kong because it reportedly weighs additional actions to tighten its grip on the town, one analyst advised CNBC on Monday.

Last week, media shops together with Reuters and South China Morning Post reported that Beijing could be contemplating modifications to Hong Kong’s electoral system that could restrict pro-democracy politicians and stop them from operating in native elections.

The stories got here as Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of China’s State Council, mentioned in a Mandarin-language statement that Hong Kong needs to be ruled by patriots who do not violate the nationwide safety regulation or problem the management of the Chinese Communist Party, in response to a CNBC translation.

Xia mentioned one of the explanations Hong Kong noticed an anti-China motion was as a result of the town’s necessary establishments weren’t absolutely helmed by patriots. One approach to make sure that solely these most loyal to China govern Hong Kong is by enhancing the town’s electoral system via closing related authorized loopholes, he added.

John Marrett, senior analyst in danger consultancy The Economist Intelligence Unit, mentioned Beijing has already made a number of strikes to carry again opposition in Hong Kong.

“It is notable that they’re going much further in proposing these electoral reforms, the details of which we have yet to see,” he advised CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia” on Monday.

“But it does say something about their fears of a later resurgence of political instability, social unrest in the city and it does speak to their lack of concern for international outcry over Hong Kong anymore,” he added.

Hong Kong is a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997. The metropolis is ruled underneath a “one country, two systems” precept that provides it larger autonomy than different mainland Chinese cities, together with restricted election rights.

The Hong Kong authorities has barred at least 12 pro-democracy candidates from operating within the metropolis’s legislative election — which was postponed for one year until September 2021. The authorities cited the pandemic as the explanation for the delay.

In addition, 4 opposition lawmakers have been dismissed from Hong Kong’s Legislative Council in November final yr — main others to resign in protest, reported Reuters.