China urges UK to stop manipulating BNO scheme

Chinese Embassy in the UK said on Wednesday China firmly opposes and strongly condemns UK's wrongful remarks on so-called 2-year anniversary of "HK BNO scheme". The UK must stop interfering in HKSAR's affairs and China's internal affairs, said a spokesperson of the embassy. 

The following is a readout of the spokesperson's comments on UK's remarks:

Question: The UK Home Office hyped up on social media the so-called 2-year anniversary of "HK BNO scheme" and claimed that the UK will continue to honour their "commitment to Hong Kongers". What is your comment?

Embassy Spokesperson: Relevant remarks from the UK side grossly interfere in Hong Kong's affairs and China's internal affairs and trample on basic norms governing international relations. The Chinese side firmly opposes and strongly condemns this.

Hong Kong has long returned to China, and Hong Kong's affairs are purely China's internal affairs. The core content of the Sino-British Joint Declaration is about China's resumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong. This document does not give the UK any responsibility over Hong Kong after the latter's return to the motherland. The UK side's insistence on using Hong Kong National Security Law as an excuse to fabricate and implement the so-called BNO scheme is in serious violation of Sino-British Joint Declaration and the agreement between the two sides in the relevant MOU. Facts have fully proven that by manipulating the BNO scheme, the UK side has no intention whatsoever to "protect the freedom of Hong Kong people", but every intention to discredit and stir up troubles in Hong Kong. Such outright political manipulation will never succeed.

Hong Kong has entered a new stage in which it has restored order and is set to thrive. Hong Kong residents now enjoy peaceful life and Hong Kong's business environment has become more favorable. The  democratic rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents guaranteed by law are fully protected. As Hong Kong ushers in brighter prospects for development, we have every confidence in its future.

We strongly urge the UK side to wake up to the reality and the historical trend, abandon its colonial mindset, respect basic norms governing international relations, stop manipulating the BNO scheme, and stop interfering in Hong Kong's affairs and China's internal affairs.