Pro-establishment figures had welcomed the plan, but some pan-democrats condemned it for accepting a "small circle" nominating committee that would be responsible for approving candidates.
BBC: China media: Analysing North Korea
2.
Mainland media often label pan-democrats as the "opposition camp".
BBC: China media: Concerns over bird flu
3.
Despite the rare show of openness, political commentator Willy Wo-lap Lam tells Apple Daily that the People's Daily article also makes it clear that the pan-democrats have hit Beijing's "bottom line".