Patriots administering Hong Kong

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Patriots administering Hong Kong is a principle proposed by the Chinese Communist Party that says only those loyal to the party and to Beijing should govern Hong Kong. It gained emphasis after the large protests in 2019 and the 2020 national security law, and it effectively blocks many dissidents or critics from running for public office.

The idea was first put forward by Deng Xiaoping in 1984. He said that while Hong Kong should have some self-government, patriots should form the mainstay of those running the city. Deng defined a patriot as someone who respects China, supports China’s sovereignty over Hong Kong, and does not threaten Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability.

In 2020, China’s National People’s Congress approved the Hong Kong national security law in response to the protests. In January 2021, Xi Jinping said that Hong Kong must be ruled by patriots to protect Beijing’s sovereignty and to maintain the “one country, two systems” framework. He stressed that Hong Kong should always follow patriots administering Hong Kong.

Xia Baolong, head of China’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, outlined three criteria for patriots and said those who harm national sovereignty or publicly push for Hong Kong independence or foreign sanctions are not patriots. He also signaled major changes to Hong Kong’s political system, arguing that only patriots should hold public office in the executive, legislature, and related bodies.

Opposition groups accused Beijing of stacking elections with loyalists and using the patriot rule to fit its goals. In March, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee amended the Basic Law to change the Election Committee and the Legislative Council. The Election Committee was expanded to include more government-backed seats, and the Legislative Council would be dominated by pro-Beijing forces as directly elected seats were reduced. A vetting system was created to screen candidates for Chief Executive, Legislative Council, and Election Committee, under the approval of the Hong Kong Committee for Safeguarding National Security.

Two years later, local legislation reduced District Council seats and limited who could run. Pro-democracy groups could not participate as candidates now required nominations from pro-government members. Many saw these changes as ending genuine democratic participation. The 2019 local elections, won mainly by pro-democracy candidates, are widely viewed as the last free and fair elections in Hong Kong.