Hong Kong police sever training partnership with British military

HONG KONG is reportedly cancelling plans to send senior police commanders to the UK for training after Britain barred military personnel from conducting the sessions.

John Tse Chun-chung, a senior district commander who was previously chief superintendent of the police public relations branch – a role that made him the face of the force when protests rocked Hong Kong last year – had been expected to start a one-year training course in the UK in September.

However, he will no longer be coming to Britain, according to the South China Morning Post, with both Hong

Kong and the British Government citing the pandemic as the reason.

However, the breakdown in the long training partnership between Hong Kong and the UK comes after Beijing imposed a contentious national security law in the territory.

The UK Government says it represents a serious violation of the Sinobritish

Joint Declaration, meant to guarantee the city’s unique liberties for at least 50 years after being returned by Britain to China.

Chinese state media has said the UK cancelling training will push the Hong Kong police force closer to police units in mainland China.

The British Army

Force previously ran limited drill instructor programmes for the Hong Kong police, the city’s government flying service and its sea cadet corps.

In July, Washington also halted its state department-run training for Hong Kong police.

Meanwhile, Carrie Lam, the chief executive of Hong Kong, has returned an honorary fellowship to the University of Cambridge after Wolfson College raised concerns about her commitment to the protection of human rights and freedom of expression.

Ms Lam denied the “groundless” accusations and said she had written to Wolfson to explain her administration’s stance on protests in Hong Kong.