Beijing is mulling a drastic overhaul of the Election Committee that chooses Hong Kong’s chief executive by scrapping all 117 seats likely to be controlled by opposition district councillors to quash their influence in the 2022 leadership race, reports South China Morning Post.

As part of sweeping proposals that sources said were meant to disempower the district councillors – many of whom were protesters and activists who won their seats riding on a wave of public discontent in last year’s elections – the city’s pro-establishment members were also lobbying Beijing to get rid of five so-called super seats from the local electoral map, the newspaper reported.

The intent was to erode the relevance of the opposition councillors, the insiders said.

Sources told the newspaper the proposals could be placed on the agenda of a meeting of China’s top legislative body, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), which was scheduled to run from Tuesday to Saturday. 

The measures – if endorsed – would be further scrutinised at the NPC’s next plenary session, which is due to kick off on March 5 next year. The plenary session this year was postponed until May due to the coronavirus pandemic, the newspaper reported.

China has been continuously taking steps to try to put more pressure on Hong Kong.

China's parliament recently backed a new security bill meant to bring about tighter control over Hong Kong, which underlines that anyone who undermines Beijing's authority in the territory will be treated as a criminal and his/her action will be deemed crime against the state.

The new bill has caused deep concern among those who say it could end Hong Kong's unique status.

The move sparked a new wave of anti-mainland protest.