Well, this decision by China's ruling class tells the citizens of Taiwan what to expect under reunification: prospects for democracy would be few and far between, so just do as you're told.
China says Hong Kong's government must petition Beijing if it wants to make any changes to its electoral laws.Posted by Alan at April 6, 2004 12:20 PMThe National People's Congress Standing Committee, made the decision in an interpretation of the Hong Kong constitution. The announcement came from Qiao Xiaoyang, deputy secretary-general of the NPC Standing Committee.
"The right to amend the law belongs to the National People's Congress," he said.
Democracy advocates see the ruling as Beijing's clamping down on the development of democracy in the territory, which Britain returned to Chinese control in 1997.
The constitution, known as the Basic Law, devised by China and Britain prior to the change in sovereignty, aims to establish a system in which Hong Kong residents can directly elect their leader. That right is not shared by their countrymen on the Chinese mainland.
In its interpretation, the NPC Standing Committee said local governments have no fixed power. It said all powers of local governments derive from the authorization of the central authorities.
Via Voice of America