Theclosingmeetingofthefourthsessionofthe13thNPCisheldattheGreatHallofthePeopleinBeijing,March11,2021.(Xinhua/ZhangYuwei)--ChineselawmakersvotedoverwhelminglytoadoptadecisiononimprovingHongKong'selectoralsystem.--TheElectionCommitteeoftheHKSARwillbereformedinitssize,compositionandformationmethod,andwillbegivenmorepower.--Anewcommitteewillbesetuptovetthequalificationsofelectioncandidates.--ThedecisionwillhelpformanewdemocraticelectoralsystemsuitedtoHongKong'srealitiesandwithHongKongcharacteristics.BEIJING,March11(Xinhua)--China'stoplegislatureThursdayadoptedadecisiononimprovingtheelectoralsystemoftheHongKongSpecialAdministrativeRegion(HKSAR),unveilingaseriesofmeasuresthatwillreformhowtheregion'schiefexecutiveandlocallawmakersareelectedtoensurethefinancialhubisrunbypatriots.Thedecisionwasendorsedbyanoverwhelmingmajorityvoteatthefourthsessionofthe13thNationalPeople'sCongress(NPC).LawmakersattendingthesessionattheGreatHallofthePeopleburstintothunderousapplauseafteritwaspassed.ItcamemonthsaftertheNPCStandingCommitteeenactedtheLawonSafeguardingNationalSecurityintheHKSAR,whichhashelpedHongKongmakethetransitionfromchaostostability."ThedecisionwillhelpformanewdemocraticelectoralsystemsuitedtoHongKong'srealitiesandwithHongKongcharacteristics,"saidQiPengfei,aresearcheronHongKongattheRenminUniversityofChina.Accordingtothedecision,theNPCStandingCommitteewillamendtwoannexestotheHKSARBasicLaw,whichgoverntheselectionmethodoftheHKSARchiefexecutiveandtheformationmethodoftheLegislativeCouncil(LegCo),respectively.Tobecomemore"broadlyrepresentative,suitedtotheHKSAR'srealities,andrepresentativeoftheoverallinterestsofitssociety,"theElectionCommitteeoftheHKSARwillbereformedinitssize,compositionandformationmethod,andwillbegivenmorepower.TheElectionCommittee,expandedto1,500membersfrom1,200,shallberesponsibleforelectingtheChiefExecutivedesignateandpartofthemembersoftheLegCo,aswellasfornominatingcandidatesfortheChiefExecutiveandLegComembers,saidthedecision.TheLegCoshallbecomposedof90membersineachterm.MembersoftheLegCoshallincludemembersreturnedbytheElectionCommittee,thosereturnedbyfunctionalconstituencies,andthosebygeographicalconstituenciesthroughdirectelections,accordingtothedecision.AcandidatequalificationreviewcommitteeoftheHKSARwillbesetuptovetandconfirmthequalificationsofcandidatesfortheElectionCommitteemembers,theChiefExecutive,andtheLegComembers.TheHKSARisrequiredtoimprovethesystemandmechanismsrelatedtoqualificationreview,amendlocallawsinaccordancewiththedecisionandtheamendedBasicLawannexes,andorganizeandregulateelectionactivitiesaccordingly.Inastatement,HKSARChiefExecutiveCarrieLamsaidshewouldliketopledge"staunchsupport"forand"sinceregratitude"tothepassageoftheNPCdecision."I,togetherwiththeHKSARgovernment,willrenderourfullcooperationinfacilitatingtheamendments,andpressaheadwiththenecessaryamendmentstotherelevantlocalelectorallegislationthereafter,"Lamsaid.Explainingadraftofthedecisiontolawmakersatthestartoftheweek-longsession,seniorlegislatorWangChensaidtheriotingandturbulencethatoccurredintheHongKongsocietyinrecentyearsrevealsthattheexistingelectoralsystemintheHKSARhasclearloopholesanddeficiencies,whichtheanti-China,destabilizingelementsjumpedontotakeintotheirhandsthepowertoadministertheHKSAR.NecessarymeasuresmustbetakentoimprovetheelectoralsystemandremoveexistinginstitutionalriskstoensuretheadministrationofHongKongbyHongKongpeoplewithpatriotsasthemainbody,saidWang,vicechairmanoftheNPCStandingCommittee.InastatementissuedThursday,theHongKongandMacaoAffairsOfficeoftheStateCouncilsaiditfirmlysupportsthedecisionandwillresolutelyimplementitinthework,addingthatimplementing"patriotsadministeringHongKong"isthekeytoimprovingtheelectoralsystem.HongKongresidentsdisplayChina'snationalflagandtheflagoftheHKSARinsupportofimplementingtheprincipleof"patriotsadministeringHongKong"atTamarParkinHongKong,southChina.(Xinhua/LiGang)ThedecisionfitsthecommonexpectationsofHongKongresidentsandwillhelpHongKongendchaosandusheringoodgovernance,saidLoSui-on,anNPCdeputyfromHongKong.Accordingtoasurveybythink-tankBauhiniaInstitute,morethan70percentofHongKongresidentssupporttheNPCdecisionandbelievethatthemovewillcreatebetterconditionsfortheHKSARgovernmenttofocusondevelopingtheeconomyandimprovingpeople'slivelihood."IstronglysupporttheNPCdecision,"JackyKo,ayoungsocialnetworkinfluencerofHongKong,said."WearereallyangryattroublemakersenteringHongKong'sexecutive,legislativeandjudiciaryorgansastheycausedthelegislativechaosandobstructedprojectsthatconcernpeople'slivelihoods,whichmadeordinarypeoplesuffer,"hesaid.(VideoReporters:ZhaoXu,XiaZilin;VideoEditor:WuYao)■