China ‘firmly opposes’ UK for ‘grossly’ interfering through report on Hong Kong

The Chinese embassy in London said on Thursday that China has lodged "stern representations" with the United Kingdom over a report it published on Hong Kong which accused Beijing of violating human rights in the region, Sputnik reported.

This comes a day after the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office issued a six-month report on Hong Kong, stating that "the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities are undermining the rights and freedoms promised to Hong Kongers under the Sino-British Joint Declaration."

The report went on to state that Hong Kong’s freedom is “being systematically eroded by Beijing on multiple fronts, tightening the restrictions on the lives of ordinary Hong Kongers," and its autonomy is “declining, and the pervasive, chilling effect of the National Security Law seeps into all aspects of society."

Accusing the UK of violating international ties by interfering in Hong Kong’s internal matters, the Chinese embassy in London said in a statement on its website: "China’s position on Hong Kong-related affairs is consistent and clear. In disregard of China’s solemn stance, the UK went ahead to publish the so-called Six-monthly report on Hong Kong."

"It distorted facts, grossly interfered in Hong Kong affairs, which are China’s internal affairs, and seriously violated the basic norms governing international relations. We are strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to it, and have lodged stern representations with the British side,” the embassy said.

What spurred the remarks made in the report?

In 1997, the United Kingdom released Hong Kong as one of its colonies and returned it to China, whose central government acknowledges that the region operates on the principle of "one country, two systems". As per a joint declaration signed by the UK and China, Hong Kong will retrieve its broad autonomy until 2047. However, its future after that date remains uncertain. 

The allegations made in the report fuel from the pro-democracy protests that took over Hong Kong in 2019. A year later, China adopted the Hong Kong National Security Law, which prohibits subversion, secession, cooperation with foreign forces, and terrorist acts and allows prosecutors to give prison sentences in case of a violation. The move continues to be widely condemned by the West, which has criticized China for imposing a law that erodes the people of Hong Kong of their freedom.