China on Wednesday bluntly told Britain to stay out of Hong Kong pro-democracy protests, asserting that the UK no longer has any right to supervision nor any moral obligation after it handed over the former British colony in 1997.
“Following the return of Hong Kong the British side has no sovereignty, no administrative power and no right of supervision towards Hong Kong and there is no such thing as moral obligation,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told media.
She was replying to allegations from British lawmakers that China’s denial of visas to UK parliamentarians to visit Hong Kong violated the 1984 agreement with Britain for the handover of its former colony.
“Some people from British side attempt to use the so called moral obligation to mislead the public and interfere in China’s domestic affairs,” Hua said adding that “this kind of unacceptable act is doomed to failure.”
“Hong Kong has already returned to China in 1997. It is Special Administrative Region of China. The 1984 joint statement has clearly specified the obligations and rights of China and (the) UK in terms of the resumption of sovereignty towards Hong Kong and the relevant arrangements in the transitional period,” she said.
China has rebuffed Britain by denying visas to a UK lawmakers’ delegation to visit Hong Kong, which is reeling under an almost two-month-long street protests.