China Non-compliant With Joint Declaration, Says UK

China is no longer compliant with Hong Kong's joint declaration after Beijing announced sweeping changes to the region's electoral system, Britain said Saturday.

"The UK now considers Beijing to be in a state of ongoing non-compliance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The treaty was signed before Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997 and was designed to allay fears about its future under Beijing's rule.

It guarantees the financial hub special status including a high degree of autonomy to manage its own affairs and the right to freedom of speech.

But British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said that Beijing's decision "to impose radical changes to restrict participation in Hong Kong's electoral system" was a "further clear breach" of the agreement.

"This is part of a pattern designed to harass and stifle all voices critical of China's policies and is the third breach of the Joint Declaration in less than nine months," he said.

"I must now report that the UK considers Beijing to be in a state of ongoing non-compliance with the Joint Declaration," he added, further ramping up tensions between the two nations.

Britain has been a strong critic of China's crackdown on pro-democracy campaigners in Hong Kong, and angered Beijing by announcing a new visa scheme offering millions of its residents a pathway to British citizenship. (AFP)