Existing problems in Hong Kong involve subversion and the seizing of power, and to remedy the situation, Beijing is initiating an electoral overhaul that will help the democratic system of the city regain its health, a senior official has said.

Sweeping reform of the Hong Kong election system could be seen as “minimally invasive surgery” that would leave a small wound but allow a deep incursion, Zhang Xiaoming, the deputy director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, said in Beijing on Friday.

A decision made by the state legislature National People’s Congress on Thursday would fix the loopholes and shortcomings in the existing electoral system, Zhang told reporters at a press conference.

Chaos that broke out during anti-extradition bill protests in 2019 showed that Hong Kong’s current problems were political in nature. They were not about whether to have democracy, or about the pace of democracy, he said.

The problems involved challenges in “seizing and counter-seizing power, subversion and counter-subversion, and infiltration and counter-infiltration.” Zhang emphasised: “We have no room for concession on this issue.”

The sweeping reform, together with the implementation of national security laws, amounted to “a combination of punches” to fix the unrest in the city, he added. It would effectively safeguard national security and the city’s political and regime security.

Beijing’s reform decision included implementing the principle of letting patriots govern Hong Kong and changing the Legislative Council electoral method. The NPC adopted the decision at the closing of the legislative plenary session on Thursday.

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