Focus on Arts and Ecology

 November 20, 2020

China has voiced strong opposition after the so-called Five Eyes coalition accused Beijing of imposing new rules to disqualify Hong Kong lawmakers.

Last week, China's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) public office holders must pledge allegiance to their home country, after which the HKSAR government issued a statement saying that four lawmakers, not having pledged their allegiance, were immediately disqualified.

On Wednesday, foreign ministers from Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the United States criticized the move, saying China's central government was trying to silence critics in Hong Kong and called on Beijing to reverse course.

(Sources: The China Report)