London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 20, 2025

China Moves to Tame Hong Kong Opposition With ‘Patriotism’ Test

China Moves to Tame Hong Kong Opposition With ‘Patriotism’ Test

China may require all Hong Kong lawmakers to be “patriots” as soon as Wednesday, local media reported, a move to curb debate in a democratic institution that has endured more than two decades after the former British colony’s return.

China’s top legislative body is considering a measure behind closed doors in Beijing this week that would allow Hong Kong’s government to eject lawmakers deemed insufficiently patriotic, local media including HK01 and the Sing Tao Daily reported this week. The proposal has alarmed the 20 opposition lawmakers on the city’s 70-seat Legislative Council, with the bloc threatening on Monday to resign if any of their own are disqualified.

“The opposition camp has no choice: either they cooperate or, as they came to a preliminary consensus last night, they will opt out of the legislature,” Sonny Lo, a Hong Kong-based academic and political commentator, said on Tuesday. “Then we are facing a scenario in which the Legislative Council will be purely pro-government legislators for the foreseeable future, effectively gutting any opposition.”


Matthew Cheung


Hong Kong’s No. 2 official, Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung, declined to respond to what he dismissed as “speculative” media reports. “We have nothing to offer, nothing to comment,” Cheung told a briefing Tuesday.

International Concerns


The proposal is the latest sign of China’s determination to rein in dissent in the wake of anti-government protests that rocked Hong Kong last year. Beijing bypassed the Legislative Council to impose controversial national security legislation in June, causing the Group of Seven nations to accuse China of violating the terms of its handover agreement with the U.K. and prompting the Trump administration to sanction more than a dozen senior officials who oversee the city.

A mass resignation would highlight international concerns about China’s human rights practices just as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office on a promise to defend democratic values around the world. He has vowed to “fully enforce” the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act signed by Trump last year.

While China’s parliament has so far said nothing about the Hong Kong measure, local media said the National People’s Congress Standing Committee will lay out powers for removing officials deemed to have violated laws requiring “allegiance” to the government. The provision could be used to remove opposition lawmakers including Dennis Kwok, Kwok Ka-ki, Kenneth Leung and Alvin Yeung, HK01 reported Monday, citing people familiar with matter.

“It seems like those in power cannot tolerate opposition anymore,” Dennis Kwok told a news conference Monday. He called it a “serious departure from the original spirit” of China’s promise to retain Hong Kong’s liberal institutions and capitalist economy under a “one country, two systems” framework.

Zhang Xiaoming, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office in Beijing, was expected to brief Hong Kong officials next week on the proposal next week on the proposal, HK01 said. The ability to purge opposition lawmakers would make it easier to control the Legislative Council if they win an unprecedented majority in elections that the government has postponed -- citing coronavirus concerns -- over the protests of democracy advocates.


Zhang Xiaoming


“There isn’t a clear definition on patriotism for the Chinese Communist Party,” said Dongshu Liu, associate professor of Chinese politics at the City University of Hong Kong. “Whenever they need an excuse to disqualify or attack their opponents, they can use patriotism.”

‘Rubber Stamp’


The move raises new questions about the future of the legislature, perhaps the most high-profile platform for open debate left under Beijing’s rule. After several radical “localist” activists were among a record 29 opposition lawmakers elected in 2016, China handed down a ruling that led to the disqualification of a half dozen lawmakers.

Several remaining lawmakers are also facing criminal charges related to various protests against the government, including seven charged in recent months with participating in a May scuffle at the Legislative Council. Nick Or, an assistant professor of public policy at the CityU, warned that the Hong Kong government risked losing its legitimacy by limiting legislative debate.

“The Hong Kong government may be able to get a rubber stamp, but it is not necessarily a good thing if their proposals are unchallenged,” Or said. “It does not do any good for building up good governance in Hong Kong.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
×