The Westminster Seminar, jointly organized by the British Parliament and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, invited members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council to attend the seminar in mid-March.
However, the United Kingdom branch of the Federation issued a statement the day before yesterday (26th) withdrawing its invitation to the Hong Kong legislature due to the "deteriorating situation in Hong Kong".
Li Zijing, a member of the New Democratic Party who was originally invited to attend, condemned the political manipulation by the British side in an attempt to slander Hong Kong's electoral system.
He criticized the British side for playing tricks, saying that if Hong Kong's system is not ideal, Hong Kong members should be asked to explain the electoral system and make comments after understanding.
He also pointed out that he would express his dissatisfaction to the British side through the media, Hong Kong can hold its own seminars, and he does not want to set foot in the UK in the short term.
In November last year, when the invitation was invited, the election has been restructured and the invitation was suddenly withdrawn.
The British branch of the Federation mentioned that the degree of political diversity and the basis for participation in Hong Kong have been seriously weakened. Li Zijing retorted that Hong Kong's parliament is still pluralistic and the rule of law is at the forefront of the world.
He said that when the organizers sent out the invitation last November, Hong Kong had already perfected the electoral system, and the new Legislative Council had been in operation for nearly a year, but now they are withdrawing the invitation, which is a joke.
He said that the withdrawal of the invitation is a loss for the organizers, not for Hong Kong, because they lost the opportunity to learn more about Hong Kong.
He also questioned the British side's partiality to listen, "The dignified British Parliament, why should we be afraid that members of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will tell the real situation in Hong Kong?"
Li Zijing believes that the decision made by the UK organizers this time is hasty, and the western countries are blocking the country's development. Unless there is a business need, he does not want to set foot in the UK in the short term.
He thinks that Hong Kong can organize its own seminars to let foreign countries understand the situation in Hong Kong.
When asked whether the "deteriorating situation in Hong Kong" mentioned by the British side had anything to do with the NPC's interpretation of the law, Li Zijing pointed out that the invitation letter from the British side was issued in mid-November, and did not rule out any possibility, and reiterated his support for the NPC Standing Committee's decision.
The British Parliament Withdrew the Invitation to the Symposium Li Zijing Criticized Children's Play and Questioned Partial Listening: The Loss of the Organizers