Beijing Protests Over UK Minister's Remarks On HK

Beijing says it has lodged stern representations with the United Kingdom over its foreign secretary's remarks on Hong Kong.

Dominic Raab said on Tuesday that Beijing is destroying the "jewel" of Hong Kong with the national security law it is imposing on the SAR.

"“There is time for China to reconsider, there is a moment for China to step back from the brink and respect Hong Kong’s autonomy and respect China’s own international obligations,” Raab told the UK parliament.

“The sad reality is that if China continues down this track, it will be strangling what has long been the jewel in the economic crown."

In response, a Foreign Ministry spokesman in Beijing said on Wednesday that Britain has no jurisdiction or supervision over Hong Kong.

The spokesman added that any threat to the SAR's stability and prosperity comes from foreign forces.

"We advise the UK to step back from the brink, abandon their Cold War mentality and colonial mindset, and recognise and respect the fact that Hong Kong has returned" to China, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular briefing.

Zhao said London must "immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong's affairs and China's internal affairs, or this will definitely backfire." (Additional reporting by Reuters, AFP)

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