06/07/2023 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday 6 July, the European Union condemned new changes to the district council electoral system introduced by Hong Kong’s legislative council. “The reform of the District Council elections runs counter to the commitment to democratic representation set out in Hong Kong’s basic law and undermines the principle of ‘one country, two systems’”, said the European External Action Service (EEAS) in a statement. Under this electoral reshuffle of district councils, the number of directly elected members has been considerably reduced, to less than a fifth. This decision follows the National Security Law, which came into force in 2020 and the revision of the electoral rules in 2021. The EU calls on the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to pursue the introduction of universal suffrage enshrined in the basic law and to restore confidence in Hong Kong’s democratic processes. (PLD)