British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said via Twitter on March 13 that “China’s latest decision to undermine Hong Kong‘s electoral system and stifle the voice of democracy puts it (into) a still ongoing state of non-compliance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration (state).”
A statement released by the British Foreign Office reads, “The UK now considers Beijing to be in a state of ongoing non-compliance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration.” According to Raab, “Beijing’s decision to adopt major reforms to restrict participation in Hong Kong’s electoral system is a further clear violation of the legally binding Sino-British Joint Declaration. This is part of a phenomenon designed to harass and stifle all voices critical of China’s policies and is the third violation of the Joint Declaration in less than nine months”
Raab said, “The continued actions of the Chinese authorities mean that I must now report that the UK believes that Beijing is in a state of non-compliance with the Joint Statement, which demonstrates the widening gulf between Beijing’s promises and its actions.” He said, “Britain will continue to defend the people of Hong Kong. China must act in accordance with its legal obligations and respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of Hong Kong.” Earlier, the UK joined its other Group of Seven (G7) partners and the EU in a joint statement unanimously calling on China to respect Hong Kong’s freedom and autonomy and to end its crackdown on pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong.
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