Western allies say China broke Hong Kong deal

WASHINGTON - The United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand accused China of violating its legally binding international commitments by ousting prodemocracy lawmakers from Hong Kong’s legislature.

The foreign ministers of the five allies said China was going against its 1984 promise that it would preserve autonomy in the financial hub after the then British colony’s handover in 1997.

The removal of four opposit ion lawmakers triggered the en masse resignation of their remaining colleagues, the latest move in a deepening crackdown against Beijing’s critics following last year’s huge and often violent democracy protests.

“China’s action is a clear breach of its international obligations under the legally binding, UN-registered SinoBritish Joint Declaration,” the nationssaidinajointstatement, reiterating individual remarks.

The foreign ministers said the latest move appeared to be part of a “concerted campaign to silence all critical voices” in the financial hub.

“For the sake of Hong Kong’s stability and prosperity, it is essential that China and the Hong Kong authorities respect the channels for the people of Hong Kong to express their legitimate concerns and opinions,” said the alliance, known collectively as the Five Eyes.

China’s foreign ministry spokesman on Thursday hit back against the accusation, calling it a “blatant violation of international law” and saying “any attempt to exert pressure on China... is doomed to fail.”

“No matter if they have five or ten eyes, if they dare to damage China’s sovereignty, security and development interests, they should beware of being blinded,” said spokesman Zhao Lijian.

China promised to rule Hong Kong via a “One Country, Two Systems” model that would allow the city to retain key freedoms and autonomy from the authoritarian mainland until 2047.

Wes te rn allies say that agreement has been prematurely shredded by the clampdown, which has included a broad national security law that was imposed directly by Beijing in June.

The law has since all but wiped out dissent against Chineseruleintheterritoryand left swathes of the population too scared to speak out, fearing being jailed or disappearing into the mainland’s opaque legal system.

China’s leaders deny breaching their pre-handover promises and say Western powers have no right to interfere in how the global trade hub is run.