Raab: China has to take step back over Hong Kong
BRITAIN yesterday warned China to “step back from the brink” and not enforce new authoritarian security laws in Hong Kong.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the move risked destroying one of the jewels of Asia’s economy while ruining the reputation of Beijing.
He said the legislation “lies in direct conflict with China’s international obligations” and was a breach of Hong Kong’s autonomy.
The UK announced last week it would offer visas to the three million British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders in the territory if Beijing enforced the planned changes.
The new legislation, passed by China’s parliament last week, would see a clampdown on criticism of the Communist Party of China and security agencies in Hong Kong for the first time.
Strangling
Mr Raab told the House of Commons that the legislation was in breach of China’s commitment to maintain a “one country, two systems” approach agreed in the 1997 handover. He said: “The sad reality is that if China continues down this track, it will be strangling what has long been the jewel in the economic crown.
“There is time for China to reconsider. There is a moment for China to step back from the brink and respect Hong Kong’s autonomy and respect China’s own international obligations. If China continues down this current path, if it enacts this national security law, we will consider what further response we make, working with those international partners and others.”
Last week the UK issued a joint statement with the US, Australia and Canada saying that the new Chinese legislation would “dramatically erode Hong Kong’s autonomy”.
A spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry said that Beijing firmly opposed the statement and had lodged representations with the countries.
Hong Kong was handed back to China from British control in 1997 but under a unique agreement.
The former British colony enjoys some freedoms not seen in mainland China. These are set out in a miniconstitution called the Basic Law.
Mr Raab’s robust statement comes after seven former British foreign secretaries urged Boris Johnson to form a global alliance to co-ordinate the response to the China-Hong Kong crisis.
Jeremy Hunt, David Miliband, Jack Straw, William Hague, Malcolm Rifkind,
David Owen and Margaret Beckett all expressed their concern at what they called China’s “flagrant breach” of Sino-British agreements by imposing tough national security laws on Hong Kong.
stores under assault across the city. Shops in Manhattan were ransacked, broken glass littered Fifth Avenue, and windows at Macy’s flagship store were boarded up after looting.
In Los Angeles, residents were warned to avoid Hollywood because of looting. In Long Beach police pointed their guns at a father as his young daughter sat on his shoulder.
Rioters opened fire and wounded four officers in St Louis while others threw rocks, launched fireworks and poured petrol over police. An officer was reportedly on life support after he was shot in the head in Las Vegas while elsewhere in the city a man carrying several guns was killed after he fired on police. Two people were shot and killed in Chicago where more than 1,000 arrests have been made as calls poured in over looting.
In Buffalo, New York, a shocking video showed police confronting protesters before an SUV rammed into officers, leaving two people injured.
In Minneapolis, where Mr Floyd was killed, his brother Terrence told a crowd: “If I’m not over here blowing up stuff, then what are y’all doing?”