China & Hong Kong governments blast UK’s ‘biased’ criticism and ‘interference’

British criticism of China’s proposed national security legislation met with a strong response on Friday, from both the Hong Kong government and China’s Foreign Ministry.

Xie Feng, the Foreign Ministry’s commissioner in Hong Kong, said the UK has “seriously trampled on the principles of international law including non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs.” The Hong Kong government issued a statement strongly rejecting the “inaccurate and biased remarks” coming from top British officials.

The row over Hong Kong, which was a British colony until 1997, has caused a major diplomatic rift between Beijing and London. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab earlier branded the upcoming national security law as “authoritarian,” urging China to “respect” the autonomy of the city, which has been rocked by mass protests for the past year. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to grant “a route to British citizenship” for Hong Kong residents if Beijing sees through the new legislation.

The law, which may come into force in August or September, provides China’s central government with additional powers to directly deal with sedition, terrorism and other threats in the city.