15/03/2021 (Agence Europe) – The G7 Foreign Ministers (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States) and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy expressed on 12 March their “grave concerns” about the decision of the Chinese authorities to “fundamentally erode democratic elements of the electoral system in Hong Kong. Such a decision strongly indicates that the authorities in mainland China are determined to eliminate dissenting voices and opinions in Hong Kong”, denounced in a joint statement. “The people of Hong Kong should be trusted to cast their votes in the best interests of Hong Kong. Discussion of differing views, not silencing of them, is the way to secure the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong”, according to the G7. They call on Beijing to respect its legal obligations, including the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, and fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong. See the statement: http://bit.ly/3lgThkB (CG)