Hong Kong begins first polls after shake-up of electoral system
The formation of the election committee on Sunday is the first poll to be held under the patriots' rule imposed by Beijing.
The formation of the election committee on Sunday is the first poll to be held under the patriots' rule imposed by Beijing.
Hong Kong has adopted the strictest social distancing measures and restrictions on inbound visitors to cope with a resurgence of Covid-19 cases since the beginning of July.
Lam, a pro-Beijing appointee, was one of a number of Chinese and Hong Kong officials sanctioned by the United States after Beijing imposed a sweeping security law on the semi-autonomous city in late June.
As relations between Washington and Beijing remain tense, the US has moved to end preferential treatment for Hong Kong over what it sees as an erosion of its autonomy and freedoms.
The arrests of the suspects, aged 16 to 21, on Wednesday marked the first such crackdown on anti-government activists not at the scene of street protests since the legislation came into effect on June 30
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam warned on Tuesday that the city, which has enjoyed a high degree of autonomy since returning to Chinese rule in 1997, cannot afford further "chaos."
The gathering in Victoria Park, an annual ritual of sombre tribute to the struggle of the students, was attended by more than 180,000 people last year.
Last week, US President Donald Trump had ordered to start a process to finalize Hong Kong's preferred trade status.
Trump said on Friday that the United States would ban some Chinese graduate students and start reversing Hong Kong's special status in customs and other areas, as Beijing moves ahead with a plan to impose a controversial security law.
It comes after a year of pro-democracy protests in the financial hub, which first emerged as a response to efforts by local authorities to introduce an extradition law that opponents said would allow China to target dissidents and free speech activists.
