The British prime minister said on Friday that the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China is cause for “celebration, not sadness”, but criticized Beijing for “does not comply” with its obligations to the former British colony.
China “has enthusiastically committed to the ‘one country, two systems’ principle. This meant that while many things would change on the surface, the foundations on which Hong Kong rests would remain largely intact.” twitterone day after 25 years have passed since the sovereignty of the territory was transferred.
Twenty-five years ago we made a promise to the people of Hong Kong.
We intend to keep it. pic.twitter.com/nIN96ZydgV
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) June 30, 2022
This lasted for a while, allowing the city to continue to “grow and flourish”, but, on this 25th anniversary, “we simply cannot ignore the fact that, for some time now, Beijing is in breach of its obligations.”
“The current state of affairs threatens the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong and their continued progress and prosperity,” the UK prime minister stressed.
“25 years ago we made a promise to the territory and its people and we intend to fulfill itdoing everything in our power to ensure that China lives up to its commitments, so that Hong Kong can once again be run by the people of Hong Kong and for the people of Hong Kong,” Johnson said.
In 1997, China took control of Hong Kong under the “one country, two systems” principle, which would maintain the city’s economic, political and judicial systems, distinct from the mainland Chinese political system, for a period of 50 years. .
But a controversial national security law and other related moves by Hong Kong’s executive have brought the territory’s judicial and political system closer to that of mainland China.
The national security law, approved by Beijing in 2020, provides life sentences for cases of secession, terrorism or collusion with foreign forces, among others.
Since then, dozens of activists, opposition politicians, journalists and academics have been detained under the law in Hong Kong, ending the pro-democracy movement that began in 2019.
Source: Observadora
