China-drafted electoral reform bill introduced in Hong Kong

Pro-China legislators attend the first and second reading of the Improving Electoral System (Consolidated Amendments) Bill 2021 at the Legislative Council in Hong Kong (Vincent Yu/AP)

Hong Kong’s electoral reform bill has been introduced in the city’s legislature, setting in motion changes that will give Beijing greater control over the process while reducing the number of directly elected representatives.

The bill is part of efforts to rein in political protests and opposition in Hong Kong, which is part of China but has had a more liberal political system since the 1997 handover from Britain.