He came on the eve of a visit to London by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to discuss China, 5G and a post-Brexit free trade deal with Prime Minister Boris Johnson . Pompeo arrived on Monday evening and did not speak to the media.
The UK also extended a Chinese arms embargo established after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre to Hong Kong, and last week Chinese telecommunications company Huawei withdrew its future role in Britain’s 5G network.
Chinese Ambassador to London Liu Xiaoming accused the country of “blatantly interfering in China’s internal affairs and violating international law and basic standards governing international relations.”
“China has never interfered in the internal affairs of the UK. The UK should do the same with China. Otherwise, he must bear the consequences, ”he said.
An embassy spokesperson said the UK had “repeatedly made false remarks” about Hong Kong’s national security laws.
“Now the British side has gone even further down the wrong path in disregard of China’s solemn stance and repeated representations,” the spokesperson said.“The Chinese government remains steadfast in its resolve to implement the Hong Kong National Security Law… to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, and to oppose outside interference. China will firmly respond to any move that interferes in its internal affairs. ”
Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Global Times, a spokesman for the warmongering state, said China was “certainly” going to counter British sanctions, but that they were in insignificant areas and that Sino-British relations were not irreparable.
“The UK is increasingly controlled by the US and increasingly dependent on Washington.”
Separately, the newspaper quoted anonymous observers to warn that the UK would “pay the price for its new moves against China,” and said London-based HSBC bank could be the first target.
Previous statements by the UK to provide assistance and resettlement to Hong Kong people who wish to leave have drawn threats of “countermeasures” from Beijing.
In his speech, Raab stressed the desire for continued cooperation with China, but said these actions were “a reasonable and proportionate response” to the new laws, which were characterized as broad, ill-defined and draconian, targeting the fundamental freedoms of expression and political dissent. in the semi-autonomous city.
China has been accused of violating the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which guaranteed 50 years of autonomy for Hong Kong after Britain relinquished control in 1997.
Neither diplomatic pleas nor harsh sanctions from countries like the UK, US and Australia in response to the laws have changed China’s increasingly aggressive policy in Hong Kong, in the Sea of Southern China or its treatment of Uyghur minority groups.
