Beijing to tighten vetting of Hong Kong legislators: Chinese lawmaker

The Beijing-controlled election committee requires candidates to be nominated by a pro-Beijing committee

Former Hong Kong chief executive Tung Chee-hwa chats with Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam at the end of the opening session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People Credit: AFP Photo

China will require that any candidate for Hong Kong's partially-elected legislature must be nominated by a pro-Beijing committee, according to a draft proposal described on Friday by a top Chinese lawmaker.

The Beijing-controlled election committee would be tasked with "electing a large proportion of Legislative Council members and directly participating in the nomination of all Legislative Council members," Wang Chen, vice-chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, said in Beijing.