Hong Kong’s political sector, legal experts and scholars on Tuesday voiced their support for major changes to the city’s electoral system, adopted by the nation’s top legislature earlier that day.

The Standing Committee of National People’s Congress announced on Tuesday morning in Beijing that it had adopted the amended Annex I and Annex II of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. President Xi Jinping later promulgated the changes, the State-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

The two annexes deal with the method of selecting the city’s chief executive, and the formation and voting procedures of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council

The two annexes deal with the method of selecting the city’s chief executive, and the formation and voting procedures of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council.

The SAR government now must amend local laws to conform to the changes in the Basic Law.

The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, the largest political party in the city’s legislature, said in a statement that the changes to the city’s electoral system will fully close existing loopholes in the electoral system and effectively implement the “patriots administering Hong Kong” principle in Hong Kong.

READ MORE: Poll: 70 percent of HK people back electoral reform

The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, the city’s largest labor union, said guaranteeing the implementation of “patriots administering Hong Kong” will prevent the recurrence of filibustering and prevent LegCo from being paralyzed, and this will allow the city to focus on solving its deep-seated issues related to people’s livelihoods.

Hong Kong’s Election Committee, which chooses the city’s chief executive, will have a mandate to nominate candidates for LegCo, and will see its membership expand from 1,200 to 1,500 from five sectors. It will also see the number of LegCo members increased from 70 to 90, with 40 of them selected by the Election Committee and 30 by trade-based functional constituencies.

The number of LegCo members will increase from 70 to 90, with 40 of them selected by the Election Committee and 30 by trade-based functional constituencies

ALSO READ: China's top legislature adopts HK electoral reform bills

The HKFTU said these changes will ensure equal and balanced political participation from different sectors and let the voice of residents from working-class and grassroots families be heard.

Also supporting the move was Maggie Chan Man-ki, president of the Small and Medium Law Firms Association of Hong Kong, who said the amendments were made in accordance with the Chinese Constitution. They address the urgent need to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty, national security, and development interests, as well as the city’s democracy and long-term stability and prosperity, she said.

Prominent academician Chan Ching-chuen said the central government has always been the “protector” and “facilitator” of the HKSAR’s democracy, and that the amendments will further strengthen the quality of the city’s democratic development and are in line with the principle of “promoting democracy step by step”.

Chan, the first Hong Kong academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, stressed scientific research requires a stable and free environment, adding he believes the electoral overhaul will help maintain the city’s stability and prosperity.

Chen Shuman contributed to the story