China and Britain’s war of words over Hong Kong has escalated, with the two sides openly accusing each other of behaving inappropriately toward the former British colony.
British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jeremy Hunt yesterday said that the UK is keeping its options open over its threat of “serious consequences” if China fails to honor the letter and spirit of an agreement that guarantees freedoms in Hong Kong.
“I’m not saying anything about what those consequences might be, that would not be the right thing for me to do as foreign secretary because, of course, you keep your options open,” Hunt told BBC radio.
Photo: Bloomberg
“The UK views this situation very, very seriously; we are a country that has championed democracy, the rule of law and civil rights across the world for much of our history and we see this situation as very worrying,” he added.
Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming (劉曉明) on Wednesday gave a rare televised statement, accusing the British government of meddling.
His comments came after British Prime Minister Theresa May told parliament that she was “shocked” by the scenes of violence when protesters stormed the Hong Kong Legislative Council on Monday.
Hong Kong police have announced the arrest of 12 people who tried to disrupt a ceremony on Monday marking the anniversary of the territory’s return from Britain to China in 1997. Another person was arrested for his alleged involvement in the storming of the legislative building that night.
“The UK government chose to stand on the wrong side, it has made inappropriate remarks, not only to interfere in the internal affairs of Hong Kong, but also to back up the violent lawbreakers,” Liu said.
Britain has tried to “obstruct” Hong Kong authorities from “bringing the criminals to justice, which is utter interference in Hong Kong’s rule of law,” he added.
Liu was in turn summoned to the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office to explain his comments.
For all that it wants a good relationship with China, the UK feels an obligation toward the people of Hong Kong, which it handed over after 156 years of British rule. That was under a “one country, two systems” agreement negotiated in 1984 by then-British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, designed to guarantee freedoms for Hong Kong.
Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong frequently invoke that deal and call on the UK to intervene when they feel its terms are being ignored; demonstrators who entered the Legislative Council building unfurled a Union Jack-emblazoned colonial flag as part of their protests.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier this week said that the Sino-British agreement “no longer has any practical significance.”
“I would like to reiterate that Hong Kong is China’s special administrative region, it is not what it used to be under the British colonial rule,” Liu said.
Additional reporting by AP
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