G7 urges China to reconsider Hong Kong security law
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has issued a statement alongside his counterparts in the G7 urging China not to impose a new national security law on Hong Kong.
The statement called on the Chinese to reconsider their decision to implement the law, saying ministers were “gravely” concerned about it.
The statement said: “The proposed national security law would risk seriously undermining the “One Country, Two Systems” principle and the territory’s high degree of autonomy.
“It would jeopardize the system which has allowed Hong Kong to flourish and made it a success over many years”.
Raab said: “Today’s statement shows the strength of international concern over China’s proposed new national security law for Hong Kong.
“As the G7, we are calling on China to adhere to its legally binding international commitments and respect the autonomy and the freedom of the people of Hong Kong”.
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The UK has been a constant opponent of the new measures since China announced its plans to implement them last month.
It has warned that that the imposition of the law is not in line with the region’s basic law, or China’s international commitments under the principles of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which was signed by China and the UK in 1984.
In response to the plans, Raab has announced that it will extend visa rights to British nationals overseas (BNOs) living in Hong Kong should China follow through with the law.
Under the changes to the regulation, residents of the city-state who hold British National (Overseas) (BNO) passports will be allowed to come to the UK for 12 months without a visa.
At the moment they are allowed to come for six months.
Roughly 350,000 people in Hong Kong have a BNO passport, but 2.6m others are also eligible.