Jubilee Post News & Views
Jubilee News Desk
China has asked UK ‘not to interfere’ with Hong Kong following the imposition of a new national security law.
Ambassador Liu Xiaoming said the UK’s offer of a path to citizenship for up to three million Hong Kongers amounted to gross interference. The offer came after Beijing brought in the controversial and sweeping new law. Opponents say it erodes the territory’s freedoms as a semi-autonomous region.
Activist Joshua Wong had earlier called for more support, asking his fellow Hong Kongers and the wider world not to “kowtow” to Beijing. But Ambassador Liu said he hoped the UK would reconsider its offer. “The UK government keeps making irresponsible remarks on Hong Kong affairs,” he told reporters.
The ambassador said a decision on exactly how Beijing intended to respond to the offer would be made once it knew the details. The UK has argued that China has reneged on an agreement made in 1997, which offered certain freedoms to Hong Kong for 50 years in return for handing the territory back to Beijing.
The new law, which was brought in last week, targets secession, subversion and terrorism with punishments of up to life in prison.
New Law criminalises any act of secession (breaking away from the country), subversion (undermining the power or authority of the central government), terrorism (using violence or intimidation against people), and collusion with foreign or external forces.
A spokesman for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged China not to interfere if Hong Kongers with British National (Overseas) status sought to come to the UK. “We would expect China to understand the importance of adhering to international law,” the spokesman said.
He added: “We are currently assessing the National Security Law in terms of extradition with Hong Kong.
Numerous countries, including the US, Canada, Japan and Australia, have also expressed concern over the imposition of the law. There are also concerns over online freedom as internet providers might have to hand over data if asked by police.
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