China on Wednesday condemned a British report that expressed concern over eroding freedoms in Hong Kong, accusing Britian of having “ignored and distorted the truth” about the territory.
Former British colony Hong Kong enjoys rights unseen on the Chinese mainland, including freedom of expression, which are protected in the handover agreement between China and Britain, but in recent years concern has grown in Hong Kong and abroad about its freedoms disappearing as Beijing tightens its grip on the territory.
In a report on Wednesday, British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jeremy Hunt said he was “concerned that on civil and political freedoms, Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy is being reduced.”
Photo: Reuters
Hunt cited recent moves by Hong Kong authorities, including banning a pro-independence party, screening political candidates and barring a Financial Times journalist who chaired a talk by an independence activist.
He described “recent pressure being applied on Hong Kong to move towards a mainland Chinese interpretation of civil and political freedoms, under which certain subjects are effectively off-limits for discussion and debate.”
In response, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged Britain to “stop interfering in China’s internal affairs,” state media reported.
A spokesperson for the ministry in Hong Kong said the “so-called report ... ignored and distorted the truth by deliberately confusing the legitimate and lawful measures taken” to fight pro-independence forces and protect national security, Xinhua news agency reported.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥) has previously criticized Britain’s six-monthly reports, noting they still continue “despite the unification.”
British activist Benedict Rogers said it was “the first time that the [British] Foreign and Commonwealth Office has publicly stated so clearly and strongly in a six-monthly report that not all aspects of ‘one country, two systems’ are functioning well.”
The report “reflects a serious deterioration of the situation on the ground,” Rogers said.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source