The ties that bind: many bodies with new-found influence as part of Hong Kong’s electoral shake-up are linked to, if not controlled by, Beijing

For instance, the China Law Society, which will name nine members to the powerful Election Committee, is directly under the Communist Party and headed by the vice-chairman of the NPC Standing Committee

Another new nominating body, the Hong Kong Publishing Federation, has been chaired since its founding by the bosses of Sino United Publishing, a conglomerate controlled by Beijing’s liaison office

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The changes stipulate the now 1,500-member committee will have more than 400 of its seats filled by mainland-affiliated groups. Illustration: Perry Tse

Published: 8:00am, 1 Apr 2021Updated: 11:51am, 6 Apr 2021

Many of the mainland organisations newly entrusted by Beijing to field Hong Kong representatives to the powerful body which now oversees the city’s key elections are closely tied to the central government, if not directly controlled by it, the Post has learned.

For example, the China Law Society, a mainland group given the unprecedented power to name nine members to the 30-strong legal subsector of the Election Committee, is under the direct supervision of the Communist Party and chaired by Wang Chen, the vice-chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, according to its website.

Under the city’s most drastic electoral overhaul since its return to China in 1997, the Election Committee, originally tasked with picking the city’s leader, will enjoy new powers to also nominate lawmakers and elect 40 representatives of its own to the 90-seat legislature.

The changes – effective on Wednesday – stipulate the now 1,500-member committee will have more than 400 of its seats filled by mainland-affiliated groups, including 110 earmarked for Hong Kong members of “relevant national organisations”.

In some of the committee’s professional subsectors – including those for the legal, technology and accountancy industries, previously seen as opposition strongholds – Hong Kong representatives affiliated with mainland organisations will now be empowered to choose up to half of the seats.