The UK PM says that China must uphold its agreements to Hong Kong

Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - When Hong Kong was returned to China 25 years ago, Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised that Britain wou...

Image: Reuters

Berita 24 English - When Hong Kong was returned to China 25 years ago, Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised that Britain would do everything in its power to hold Beijing accountable for its promises about democratic rights.

Johnson claimed that China had broken its promise to uphold the "One Country, Two Systems" agreement made as part of the 1997 agreement ending British colonial control.

A national security law passed in 2020 as well as electoral amendments that, in Britain's opinion, weaken Hong Kong's freedoms and autonomy have drawn particular criticism.

Johnson said in a video message that "we simply cannot avoid the fact that, for some time now, Beijing has been failing to comply with its commitments on the 25th anniversary of the handover."

It's a situation that jeopardises both Hong Kong residents' rights and freedoms and the country's ongoing development and prosperity.

In order to commemorate the occasion, Chinese President Xi Jinping is making his first travel outside of the Chinese mainland in more than two years.

Chinese officials have in the past rejected British criticism, claiming that it should not interfere in Hong Kong's internal affairs and that it still harbours a colonial attitude despite the handover.

The Chinese foreign ministry responded to Johnson's remarks by accusing the UK of maintaining a colonial mindset despite the handover and of using human rights as an excuse to defame Hong Kong.

"Hong Kong is China's territory, and no outside force has the authority to meddle. According to Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, "the so-called promises do not exist at all, and the United Kingdom has no right of sovereignty, governance, or oversight over post-handover Hong Kong."

In response to the national security statute, the United Kingdom established an immigration path for those having British National (Overseas) passports last year. According to Johnson, 120,000 Hong Kong residents applied under the programme.

"Hong Kong is a goal we still have. We made a commitment to the territory and its residents 25 years ago, and we intend to uphold that promise, Johnson said.

To ensure that Hong Kong is once again administered by and for the people of Hong Kong, he continued, Britain would "do all we can to hold China to its commitments."