UK's Hunt Stresses Joint Declaration, HK Autonomy

The British foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has stressed the UK government's commitment to the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration and urged Beijing to uphold Hong Kong's autonomy.

In a message timed for the 22nd anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from British to Chinese administration, Hunt pointed to recent protests in the SAR to stress the need to uphold the agreement.

"It is a legally-binding treaty and remains as valid today as it did when it was signed and ratified over thirty years ago," he wrote in a message posted on the UK government website.

Beijing has previously cast doubt on the relevance of the Joint Declaration, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang declaring in 2017 that it was a "historical document" that no longer had any practical significance.

Hunt added: "It is imperative that Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy, and the rights and freedoms of the Hong Kong people, are fully respected in line with the Joint Declaration and the Hong Kong Basic Law.

"We have made our position on this clear to the Chinese Government, both publicly and in private, and will continue to do so."

He said Britain would continue to build on its "rich and wide-ranging" ties with Hong Kong.

Hunt is one of two contenders to be Britain's next prime minister. He will face off against his predecessor, Boris Johnson, in a ballot of members of the ruling Conservative Party.