UK CLAIMS CHINA VIOLATING TREATY ON HK HANDOVER

The UK government said China is in a “state of ongoing non-compliance” with the key treaty that paved the way for Hong Kong’s return to Chinese control, following a Beijing-led crackdown on dissent in the city, Andrew Davis reported for Bloomberg News.

Saturday’s statement from Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab came days after Chinese lawmakers approved an overhaul of the city’s election system that threatens to stack the legislature with pro-Beijing loyalists.

That move was the culmination of a series of measures to curb challenges to Chinese rule, including the passage of a national security law that led to the arrest of dozens of democracy activists and prompted many to flee the city.

The election overhaul “is part of a pattern designed to harass and stifle all voices critical of China’s policies and is the third breach of the Joint Declaration in less than nine months,” Raab said. The UK decision was a “demonstration of the growing gulf between Beijing’s promises and its actions.”

The statement did not indicate what the UK government would do if China doesn’t return to compliance with the Joint Declaration. “The U.K. will continue to stand up for the people of Hong Kong,” Raab said.

“China must act in accordance with its legal obligations and respect fundamental rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.”

Hong Kong was a British colony for more than 150 years until its return to China in 1997 after the two countries signed the Joint Declaration.

The agreement gave control back to China in return for the city to maintain a “high degree” of autonomy.

Yet under President Xi Jinping, China has moved to tighten its grip on the city; the crackdown accelerated after massive pro-democracy demonstrations broke out in 2019.

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