Overseas ministers from the Group of 7 main made nations around the world on Monday expressed “grave worry” more than Hong Kong’s management choice method a working day after the semi-autonomous town picked its next chief executive in an uncontested election.
Referring to the assortment of John Lee, former stability main of the city, as the next chief, the ministers released a statement indicating the “procedure and ensuing appointment are a stark departure from the goal of universal suffrage and even more erode the skill of Hong Kongers to be legitimately represented.”
John Lee (3rd from L) will make a speech right after being picked as Hong Kong’s up coming chief government on May 8, 2022. (Kyodo)
Sunday’s election was done in a top secret ballot by Hong Kong’s Election Committee of all around 1,500 customers. Lee, endorsed by Beijing and the only candidate in the poll, gained with 99 % of the votes.
In the statement, the best diplomats of the seven nations, together with Britain, Japan and the United States, as very well as the European Union, stated they are involved about the “continual erosion of political and civil rights and Hong Kong’s autonomy.”
They identified as on China to “act in accordance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration and its other legal obligations.”
Underneath China’s “one country, two systems” policy, Hong Kong was promised it would delight in the rights and freedoms of a semi-autonomous area for 50 many years adhering to its return to the mainland in 1997.
But in late June 2020, China enforced a controversial countrywide safety law for Hong Kong to crack down on what it regards as secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with international forces.
Lee served as the city’s secretary for safety prior to currently being elevated to chief secretary for administration, the No. 2 write-up in the territory, in June 2021.
The 64-year-outdated is because of to change recent chief Carrie Lam on July 1, the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s reversion to Chinese rule from Britain.
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Hong Kong’s former safety main John Lee wins management race