Govt Angered By Activist's UK Meeting, Flag Use

The Hong Kong government has hit out at a meeting between exiled activist Nathan Law and a senior British government minister, with the use of the SAR's flag drawing particular ire.

Law met Home Secretary Priti Patel on Wednesday, and an official picture of the meeting released to the media showed the pair standing in front of British and Hong Kong SAR flags.

"The HKSAR Government strongly deplored and objected to the meeting between a cabinet minister of the United Kingdom (UK) and anti-government people from Hong Kong, where the regional flag of the HKSAR was deliberately shown despite that the people have no official capacity," a government spokesman said.

"This is clearly yet another provocative act of the UK Government following the recent release of the Six-monthly Report on Hong Kong by its foreign ministry, in which the HKSAR was maliciously maligned.

"The comments on the Sino-British Joint Declaration and Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) passport holders also breached international obligations."

Law was accompanied by Beatrice Li, the sister of Andy Li, one of 12 Hong Kong people detained in Shenzhen, as well as activists from the London-based group Hong Kong Watch.

Sean Bailey, the governing Conservative Party's candidate for Mayor of London, facilitated the meeting and was also on the photograph.

The meeting discussed the British government's plan to extend right of abode for BN(O) passport holders and offer a path to citizenship. Patel's Home Office oversees immigration matters.

The Hong Kong government spokesman added: "When the Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed, the Chinese Government and the UK Government exchanged memoranda in which the UK clearly pledged not to confer the right of abode in the UK on holders of the BN(O) passport who are Chinese nationals in Hong Kong.

"If the UK Government deliberately violates its pledge made in the British memorandum associated with the Sino-British Joint Declaration, paying no regard to the Central People's Government's firm opposition and repeated representations, and insists on using the BN(O) passport or relevant status that some people in Hong Kong still hold for political manoeuvers under the pretext of human rights and democracy to provide a path for relevant persons to reside and obtain citizenship in the UK, such a move would totally disregard history and breach international obligations."