(From Reuters)
Several pro-independence candidates won seats in Hong Kong’s first major election since pro-democracy protests in 2014, prompting a robust warning from China that any independence would damage the city’s security and prosperity.
In comments carried by the official Xinhua news agency, China’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office said it “resolutely opposed” any form of independence for Hong Kong, noting this would violate China’s constitution.
The election of a new generation of pro-democracy activists in a record turnout in Chinese-controlled Hong Kong on Sunday underscores a deep divide in a city of more than 7 million people where tensions with Beijing are intensifying.
China bristles at open dissent, especially over sensitive matters such as demands for universal suffrage, and many in Hong Kong are increasingly concerned about what they see as Beijing’s meddling in the city’s affairs. Read More