Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on his British counterpart to “tread very carefully” regarding the British government’s position on Beijing’s plan to impose a sweeping national security law in Hong Kong, warning Britain against “interference in China’s domestic affairs”.
In a phone call with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Monday, Wang said Britain should respect China’s sovereignty and rule over the former British colony.
“Both China and Britain are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and should abide by the basic principles of international relations and to set an example by not interfering in other countries’ domestic affairs,” a statement on the website of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs quoted Wang as saying to Raab.
“The Chinese side hopes Britain … will respect China’s rights to exercise sovereignty and the Chinese central government’s rule over Hong Kong according to the ‘one country, two systems’ principle,” he said. “Britain must exercise extra prudence on this matter.”
Beijing fires warning shot as UK rethinks China ties
Wang also told Raab that the Hong Kong issue was China’s “core interest” and that the national security bill would help improve the city’s business environment.
“The Hong Kong matters are purely China’s internal affairs and we do not allow external interference. Safeguarding national security in Hong Kong is China’s core interest and an important principle we must adhere to,” Wang said.
In a statement released by the British Foreign Office, Raab expressed his country’s deep concern at China’s proposal to impose national security legislation. The foreign secretary made clear Britain’s view that Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and rights and freedoms must be preserved in line with China’s international obligations under the Joint Declaration.
Cui Hongjian, a senior research fellow and director of the department of European studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said the Hong Kong question reflected the challenges Britain faced in its evolving policy on China.
“China has a very different understanding than Britain on the Hong Kong issue. We see it as an internal matter because the historical issue of Hong Kong has been solved, while Britain still sees itself as having a role and obligations in monitoring the situation in Hong Kong,” Cui said.
“The Hong Kong issue could weaken the political trust between China and Britain. We need to have a discussion on whether this would affect overall bilateral relations.”
