China's parliament on Monday passed an interpretation of Hong Kong's Basic Law that may stop two elected legislators of the Special Administrative Region from retaking their oaths, Bloomberg reported. Beijing's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office spokesperson said the development was "absolutely necessary" and timely. The National People’s Congress Standing Committee's decision follows a court dispute over whether elected pro-independence legislators could occupy their seats in parliament after insulting China while taking their oaths.
The spokesperson said, "The interpretation demonstrates the central government's firm determination and will in opposing Hong Kong independence," Xinhua reported. The statement said the interpretation was in line with the "aspirations" of Chinese citizens, including "compatriots in Hong Kong". The region's Beijing-backed chief executive had moved the court to reverse the legislature president's decision to let the localists retake their oaths.
Lawmakers Sixtus Leung, 30, and Yau Wai-ching, 25 were elected to the Legislative Council in September. The pro-independence leaders mispronounced the country's name and waved banners that said, "Hong Kong is not China" during their oath-taking ceremony. This led to the Central administration dismissing their oaths, saying advocating independence goes against the city's Basic Law.
Control over the former British colony was returned to Beijing in 1997 with a "one country, two systems" agreement, which allowed the territory to remain autonomous with certain restrictions for 50 years. In 2014, protestors agitated against China's "increasing interference that has been stifling dissent and Beijing's decision to vet potential candidates for the elections."
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