Hong Kong File Photo: VCG

A draft decision on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) was submitted on Friday to the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, for deliberation.

Wang Chen, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, delivered an explanatory speech at the opening meeting of the annual session of the NPC. He stressed the need to systematically implement the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong," therefore the size, composition and formation method of the Election Committee will be adjusted and improved. 

The Election Committee will elect the chief executive, and will be entrusted with the new function of electing a relatively large share of Legislative Council (LegCo) members and directly participating in the nomination of all candidates for the LegCo. 

Hong Kong media reported that the Election Committee will expand its numbers and speculated the reform details, but this information was not confirmed by the central government.

The electoral system overhaul is a major improvement and reform for Hong Kong. It will serve as a constitutional assurance for implementing the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong." It will fundamentally deal a heavy blow to the increasingly unhealthy tendencies in Hong Kong in recent years and ensure Hong Kong's political life returns to a normal track.

In recent years, chaos in Hong Kong intensified, with the electoral system exacerbating the situation. On the one hand, some radical oppositionists exploited the loopholes in the current electoral system to enter the LegCo and fanned the flames to prevent the normal functioning of Hong Kong. On the other hand, these oppositionists took to the streets to expand the room for them to seize power in a "legitimate way." They pinned their hopes on the violent street movement, hoping the majority of seats could fall in the hands of the opposition, and they could choose an oppositionist as the chief executive. 

Such hopes instigated some people who viewed political confrontation as their "cause." With incitement and support from some Western forces, a few ambitious people engaged in extreme political activities to seek fame and political interests.

In recent years, Hong Kong's election has seriously deviated from the original democratic intention of selecting talent. It no longer serves Hong Kong's development, but has become a battlefield for political games and a window for the outbreak of political storms. It is time to block all the crooked ways and let the election really serve Hong Kong society and the country, and virtuously connect the electoral process and governance process.

Misunderstandings about elections and democracy should be corrected, and the political influence of the US, the UK and other Western forces on Hong Kong must be blocked. If they are dissatisfied, they can speak out in the Western public opinion field. As long as we protect the election, which is the pivot of Hong Kong's politics, and make sure that people who enter the system to participate in Hong Kong's governance are patriots, Western opposition will be in vain and will be meaningless bubbles of public opinion.

What needs to be pointed out is that Chinese people will definitely support the central government's move to revise and improve Hong Kong's election methods. We believe that since the adjustment is a fundamental solution to Hong Kong's chaos, it will fundamentally crack down on the extreme opposition forces' arrogance, reshape the city's political ecology as well as people's expectations of Hong Kong's future political outlook. Hong Kong residents' strong desire for the city to return to political stability and prosperity will be supported by a strong constitutional system. Most of them will also welcome this.

In the past few years, China has been experiencing ups and downs, but the country's strength and resilience have also been proven time and time again. Hong Kong's situation once seemed like evil winds would overwhelm righteousness. But as the national security law for Hong Kong was launched, it can be implemented. 

As long as the central government is determined to take action, its strong ability to correct the situation is unimaginable for the extremists when they are madly unscrupulous and conceited. We hope that those few people who have illusions about Western intervention will once again see clearly how unreliable and ridiculous it is to engage in extreme political confrontation in China.