Democracy in Hong Kong

Democracy in Hong Kong has been increasing until the transfer of sovereignty to the People's Republic of China in 1997 and declining since. The one country, two systems principle allows Hong Kong to enjoy high autonomy in all areas besides foreign relations and defence, which are responsibilities of the central government. Hong Kong's Basic Law, also adopted after the 1997 handover, allowed residents to vote for local district councillors and directly elect about half of the region's legislators at the time. Many Hongkongers became concerned, however, after the first Chief Executive, Tung Chee-hwa, appeared to have mishandled this issue, while human rights and universal suffrage have also become focal points for the pro-democracy camp.

Historically, Hong Kong has never been an electoral democracy. Later attempts to bring Hongkongers to the negotiating table by the British during the Sino-Anglo discussions were rejected by Beijing in the late 1980s. Chris Patten, the last governor of Hong Kong as a colony, also faced a great deal of opposition in changing its political system prior to the 1997 handover.

A 2014 NPCSC decision proposed universal voting for the Chief Executive of Hong Kong in 2017, but any candidate must have been nominated by a committee, mirroring the Election Committee, which critics feared would be favorable to Beijing. Disaffected students triggered the ensuing Umbrella or Occupy Movement. Afterwards, democratic development was no longer prioritized by the Hong Kong government.

In the wake of the 2019 anti-government protests and the 2019 District Council election landslide, the National People's Congress of China voted in March 2021 to amend Annex I and II of the Basic Law, overhauling the electoral system in a move widely seen as a further reduction on the influence of the pro-democracy camp.