Anti-China agitators undermine and disrupt democracy in Hong Kong: white paper

BEIJING, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- A white paper released by China's State Council Information Office on Monday said anti-China agitators undermined and disrupted democracy in Hong Kong.

The white paper, titled "Hong Kong: Democratic Progress Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems," said these anti-China agitators in Hong Kong have rejected the Constitutional order and endangered national security. They have destroyed the foundations of the rule of law and incited hatred in society, it added.

Anti-China agitators in Hong Kong have also obstructed governance and dragged down the economy, the white paper said, adding that they have perverted democracy and impeded its progress.

The white paper said progress towards democracy has stalled in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) because of the local agitators and the external groups behind them -- the former are the frontline saboteurs and the latter the covert masterminds.

Many young people in Hong Kong have become their pawns, and local residents are the victims who will suffer the consequences of this dangerous game, according to the white paper.

The 2019 turmoil and the chaos in the election for district councils both revealed shortcomings in the electoral system of the HKSAR, said the white paper.

Improving the democratic system of the HKSAR, especially its electoral system, is a prerequisite for governing Hong Kong by law and keeping the region on the right track, it added.