Two sessions: China’s parliament plans an overhaul of Hong Kong’s electoral system

Delegates of China's parliament, the National People's Congress, are preparing for their annual meetings in Beijing. Among the topics up for discussion at the “two sessions” are proposals to shake up Hong Kong's political system. The changes will be comprehensive. They cover the membership of the committee that selects Hong Kong's top leader; how lawmakers are elected to the city's legislature and tighter vetting of potential candidates. Opposition activists say the proposed changes will quash dissent and snuff out democracy in the former British colony, but supporters say they are vital for Hong Kong's long-term stability.