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Definition of Hong Kong 'patriot' comes under scrutiny
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A banner along a road in Hong Kong reads: "The people support patriots ruling Hong Kong". A new office vetting political candidates in the city broadly defines patriots as "those who love the Motherland".
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
BEIJING - When Beijing's top official on Hong Kong Xia Baolong gave the first hints of changes to the city's electoral system in February, he made multiple references to the term "patriots governing Hong Kong".
Patriots, he said, are those who safeguard national interests and sovereignty, while respecting the Constitution and the Communist Party of China.
