Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

Hong Kong, Beijing tell Britain to ‘abandon colonial nostalgia’ after criticisms

Hong Kong, Beijing tell Britain to ‘abandon colonial nostalgia’ after criticisms

Beijing’s foreign ministry office in the city tells Britain to ‘face up to the trend of the times’, and to ‘stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs’.

Local and mainland Chinese officials have called on Britain to “abandon colonial nostalgia” and stop meddling in Hong Kong’s affairs after London accused Beijing of using the national security law to crush dissent and suppress alternative political viewpoints in the city.

In the British government’s latest six-monthly report on Hong Kong, submitted to parliament on Friday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also accused China of breaking its legal obligations under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration by undermining Hong Kong’s rights, freedoms and high degree of autonomy.

“The national security law is not being used for its original purpose, as stated by Beijing, to target just ‘a tiny number of criminals who seriously endanger national security’. Rather it has been used to drastically curtail the space for the expression of alternative political views and deter freedom of expression and legitimate political debate,” Raab wrote in the foreword of the report, which covers events in Hong Kong from July to December last year.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.


Raab also referred to some developments that took place in Hong Kong this year, pointing to the mass arrest of 55 opposition figures in January as evidence that the Beijing-imposed security legislation was “being used to stifle political opposition”, and warning that “confidence in the rule of law will be undermined if there are further politicised prosecution decisions”.

But in a press conference on Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the report had “distorted the truth”.

“Since the introduction of the national security law about a year ago, Hong Kong has restored order and stability, and returned to the right track.

International capital has also continued to flow into Hong Kong, and foreign companies have become more confident in Hong Kong’s business environment,” he said.

“We believe that with the central government’s full support, and the joint efforts of various sectors in Hong Kong, the city will surely maintain its long-term stability and prosperity.”

Earlier on Friday, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry office in Hong Kong also rejected the contents of the report in a strongly worded statement, telling the British government to “face up to the trend of the times, abandon colonial nostalgia, immediately change course, and stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs as a whole”.

The spokesman went on to accuse London of turning “a blind eye to the dark past of its colonial rule in Hong Kong”, saying it had no right to comment on the city’s affairs after the 1997 handover.

“The Joint Declaration is essentially about China’s resumption of the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong and arrangements for the transitional period,” he said. “It is a pure distortion of history and law for the UK to claim any ‘obligation’ over Hong Kong citing the Joint Declaration.”

In a separate statement, a Hong Kong government spokesman also called on foreign governments to honour international law and the basic principles of non-intervention, and not attempt to interfere in the city’s affairs.

“Any objective person will see that since the implementation of the Hong Kong national security law, stability, which is vital to business activities, has been restored to society and national security has been safeguarded in the [city]. Our people can continue to enjoy their basic rights and freedoms in accordance with the law,” the spokesman said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
×