London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

Chinese ambassador to US dismisses concerns about Hong Kong democracy

Chinese ambassador to US dismisses concerns about Hong Kong democracy

Cui Tiankai argues in article for South China Morning Post that Beijing has ‘always been broad-minded towards those with different political opinions’.

China’s ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai has said concerns over the erosion of Hong Kong’s democracy are “completely unnecessary”.

In an opinion piece for the South China Morning Post on Sunday, the ambassador defended an overhaul of the city’s electoral system that critics fear will freeze out dissenting voices.

A resolution rubber-stamped by the National People’s Congress last week will effectively shut out opposition members deemed “unpatriotic” and change the means by which the city’s chief executive and legislators are chosen in ways likely to benefit Beijing loyalists.

“The NPC’s decision will lead to a new electoral system that suits Hong Kong’s realities and reflects the overall interests of society,” Cui wrote.

“The principle of ‘patriots administering Hong Kong’ does not mean that we will drive out diversity. ‘Patriots’ covers a wide scope, and we have always been broad-minded towards those with different political opinions.”

Cui Tiankai, China's ambassador to the US.


While Chinese officials and state media have repeatedly defended the changes, the US, Britain, the European Union, Australia, New Zealand and the Group of Seven have all expressed concerns or directly condemned the move.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken described it as an “assault on democracy” and “direct attack on Hong Kong’s autonomy, its freedoms, its democratic processes”.

In his opinion piece, Cui said concerns about the changes were “hard to understand”.

Cui compared them with the US pledge of allegiance and cited the anti-government protests of 2019.

“In the case of Hong Kong, external forces keep on bolstering the rioters and those behind them. By improving the electoral system, we are able to eliminate such risks and close an institutional loophole to ensure the stability of Hong Kong,” he wrote.

He also argued: “There have also been concerns that Hong Kong’s democracy will be eroded, which is completely unnecessary. Democracy had simply been nonexistent in Hong Kong during its 150-plus years of colonial rule, and has only been established since its return to China, which has given Hong Kong people democratic rights that they had never enjoyed before.”

Beijing has accused “external forces” of meddling with Hong Kong affairs since the protests and has used it as a justification for the sweeping national security law imposed on the city last year.

Samuel Chu, the founding director of Washington-based lobbying group Hong Kong Democracy Council, said he did not believe the American people or government would believe Cui’s arguments and said they will instead bolster the belief that Beijing is not to be trusted.

“US politicians understand what free and open elections are. An accurate analogy for what the Chinese Communist Party is doing would be if only one party or one interest group was allowed to run in elections for Congress. To call that improving democracy is laughable,” Chu said.

Last year Chu, a Hong Kong-born American citizen, became the first non-Chinese national targeted by the city’s national security law after the police said he was wanted on charges of subversion and collusion with foreign powers.

Under the new law, a vetting committee will be established to review potential candidates for the election committee for the Chief Executive and Legislative Council, effectively barring opposition candidates not deemed sufficiently “patriotic”.

Chinese officials, including Cui, have said the change will not block opposition as there are also patriots among the opposition, but critics have warned it will roll back years of effort to liberalise the system.

Johnny Lau Yui-siu, a Hong Kong-based political commentator, said: “Isolating one element among the changes they are trying to push – in this case asking for patriots to be in power – is a common propaganda tactic adopted by Beijing. This addresses nationalistic emotions domestically and also has a strong legal basis, effectively meaning it seems that they are making a point that others can hardly argue against.

“But having said that, the apparent reversal of ‘gradual and orderly progress’ towards universal suffrage in the electoral system is causing an emotional backlash.”

Washington has said Blinken will include Hong Kong among issues of “deep disagreement” when he meets Yang Jiechi, China’s foreign policy chief, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi next week in Alaska.

Lau said he believes the US is ready to play the Hong Kong card to get more substantial benefits from China.

“Beijing is clearly not afraid of so-called foreign meddling in Hong Kong, because they know that foreign powers value their bilateral relations more than the things they will address about Hong Kong,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy in London criticised British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab after he accused Beijing of breaching the Sino-British Joint Declaration signed by both sides ahead of the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.

In a statement that also attacked criticisms by the G7 and EU, the embassy said: “The relevant politicians from the above-mentioned countries and groups, including the UK, have confused right and wrong, slung groundless slanders at China, and blatantly interfered in China’s internal affairs.”

“The relevant politicians from the above-mentioned countries and groups, including the UK, have confused right and wrong, slung groundless slanders at China, and blatantly interfered in China’s internal affairs. The Chinese side expresses its strong condemnation and firm opposition.”

The statement added: “The UK has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of ‘supervision’ over Hong Kong after the handover, and it has no so-called ‘obligations’ to Hong Kong citizens.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
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
×