The Government presented the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill on 18 March 2020, thereby meeting its 100-day self imposed deadline. Second Reading has been scheduled for 23 September 2020. Aspects of the Bill are already generating controversy.
Documents to download
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Hong Kong: pro-democracy protests and proposed FAC visit (299 KB, PDF)
On 31 August 2014 the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress (NPC) decided that the next Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region should be directly elected in 2017 by universal suffrage. However, the candidates (expected to be two or three in total) will still have to be approved in advance by a nominating committee, whose composition and method of formation is likely to remain unchanged from that of the 1200-person strong ‘Election Committee’ which elected the current Chief Executive in 2012. Critics argue that this nominating committee will have an in-built ‘pro-Beijing’ bias.
This decision has triggered a wave of protest in Hong Kong, led by a movement called Occupy Central along with several student groups. Concurrently, the UK’s Foreign Affairs Committee – conducting an inquiry into UK relations with Hong Kong – has been refused permission to visit the territory. This short briefing summarises these recent events.
Documents to download
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Hong Kong: pro-democracy protests and proposed FAC visit (299 KB, PDF)
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A general debate on the Rohingya humanitarian crisis and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic has been scheduled for Thursday 24 September 2020 in the Main Chamber. This debate was selected by the Backbench Business Committee.
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This paper provides a timeline of notable events in relations between the UK and China.
