The European Union has condemned the appointment of Hong Kong's new chief executive as a violation of democratic values and political plurality.

Sunday (May 9) marked the first chief executive election since the central government changed Hong Kong's democratic system to ensure that only "patriots" held power. The winner was former security head John Lee Ka Chiu, who was elected unopposed.

Lee received more than 99 percent of the vote from 1,424 members of a government-vetted selection committee.

Eight members of the powerful Election Committee, dominated by Beijing loyalists, voted against Lee, and four others abstained.

Towards a statement on behalf of the EU's 27 member states, the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell described the procedure as "yet another step in undermining the 'one nation, two systems' premise.

Borrell urged Beijing and Hong Kong authorities to "abide by their national and international commitments, including the ultimate goal of universal suffrage for the election of the Chief Executive and members of the Legislative Council."

The Commissioner's Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong reacted angrily to the remark, demanding that the EU "immediately stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs."

According to a representative for the office, the election supported the notion of "patriots ruling Hong Kong" and "demonstrated the progress and superiority of the new electoral system," according to a representative for the office.

The liaison office of Beijing in Hong Kong lauded the election as "another successful step in the development of Hong Kong-style democracy."

In a 5,000-word commentary, the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council lauded the election's orderliness and praised Lee as a good leader for the city.

"Today's election for chief executive was conducted without incident, and Lee was chosen with a large number of votes. We congratulate him," the message stated.

The EU has been a vociferous critic of Beijing's electoral reforms in Hong Kong and has made several criticisms of the national security law, which was implemented in June 2020 and has since been used to imprison many opposition leaders, journalists, and government critics.

In response to the political situation in the city, Brussels has been unable to advance punitive legislation that would have recommended suspending the remaining EU member states' extradition treaties with China and a lifeboat system for Hongkongers moving to the bloc.

After Hungary exercised its veto twice last year, the reforms failed to obtain the support of all 27 member states and have not been reviewed since.

In a separate statement, a group of European lawmakers drew attention to the fact that The United States had sanctioned lee in 2020 for "undermining Hong Kong's autonomy" and "restricting the freedom of expression or assembly of Hong Kong's citizens," and demanded that the European Union do the same.

Their statement stated, "Similar actions by the EU and its member states against John Lee and other individuals responsible for the destruction of Hong Kong's fundamental freedoms and the dismantling of its rule of law are long overdue."

Members of the European Parliament issued a statement highlighting Lee's past as security head when he oversaw the suppression of the city's pro-democracy movement and the implementation of the national security law.

"The so-called election of Lee is a mockery of democratic processes, as the CCP authorities in Beijing have predetermined his installation." Lee is being elevated because he has amply proved that his loyalty is with the CCP and not with the inhabitants of Hong Kong," the document stated.

China's official state media, Xinhua News Agency, published a vehement opinion piece on its website accusing "some politicians in the United States and Europe of attempting to confuse right and wrong, confuse the public, and incite outrage."

"Anyone with a keen eye can see that the United States and the West have continuously tarnished the Hong Kong election to curb China's growth by playing the 'Hong Kong card. The current smear campaign and defamation are only an updated version of [this].