Foreign Politicians Condemn Ousting Of Lawmakers

Foreign politicians, including the UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, have criticised Beijing's decision to disqualify four pro-democracy lawmakers in Hong Kong, after Alvin Yeung, Dennis Kwok, Kwok Ka-ki and Kenneth Leung were stripped of their seats.

In a brief statement, the British foreign minister called the decision arbitrary and a further assault on the SAR's high degree of autonomy and freedoms under the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

"This campaign to harass, stifle and disqualify democratic opposition tarnishes China’s international reputation and undermines Hong Kong’s long-term stability," he wrote.

The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, a coalition of over 60 lawmakers from countries including the United States, Canada and Germany, echoed Raab's remarks, saying the move is an unacceptable assault on the high degree of autonomy promised to Hong Kong in the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law.

"Along with the passing of the National Security Law earlier this year, this move shows the determination of the Chinese government to forcefully end the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle guaranteed to the people of Hong Kong in international law," they said.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong's last governor, Chris Patten, described the move as "yet another example of the Chinese Communist Party trampling on what is left of democracy in Hong Kong".

"Once again, Xi Jinping's regime has demonstrated its total hostility to democratic accountability, and those who wish to stand up for it," Patten said in a statement issued by the UK-based NGO Hong Kong Watch.