One has to respect China’s Communist Party in order to enter politics in Hong Kong, Chief Executive Carrie Lam has said following a Beijing move to overhaul the electoral system in the city.

The National People’s Congress passed a vote to impose sweeping changes to how officeholders would be elected in the former British colony. The changes included introducing a government-controlled committee to vet electoral candidates and bringing in seats in the city’s legislature in favour of pro-Beijing groups.

The resolution is part of a wider policy directive hammered out by Beiijing to ensure the city is governed only by “patriots.” Following social unrest in 2019 that put Hong Kong under the international spotlight, officials have labeled pro-democracy campaigners in Hong Kong as anti-China and anti-Communist Party, claiming that they have acted as “foreign agents” to intervene in local affairs and threaten national security.

In June last year, Beijing foisted a set of draconian national security laws on Hong Kong that outlawed dissent. Subsequently, dozens of pro-democracy activists have been arrested. These developments have led to widespread concerns over Hong Kong’s status as a highly autonomous city under “one country, two systems.”

“One has to respect and accept the system in the People’s Republic of China … It is a socialist system governed by the Communist Party,” Lam said at a press conference on Thursday after the announcement of the electoral reform in Beijing. She added that one did not need to “love” the party to run for office.

“Loving the Communist Party is an obligation of the party members. I’m not a party member,” she said.

“[Loving the party] is not a requirement under what is meant by being a patriot … but Hong Kong is part of the People’s Republic of China.”

The new electoral system requires a review committee to be set up to vet candidates for key posts, including the chief executive and members of the Legislative Council. The legislature will be expanded from 70 to 90 members, with new seats given to people from a pro-Beijing “election committee,” which also has the power to choose the city’s leader.

Lam admitted the controversial reform might lead to reactions from the international community, but added that it was needed to plug loopholes in the system to protect national security.

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