China in ‘clear breach’ of UK legal agreement by expelling Hong Kong MPs, says Raab

Britain has accused China of breaching its legal commitments in Hong Kong after Beijing ordered the expulsion of four opposition MPs from the territory’s parliament.

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said the Chinese government had broken its promises under the joint declaration and was undermining the autonomy Hong Kong was supposed to enjoy.

“Beijing’s imposition of new rules to disqualify elected legislators in Hong Kong constitutes a clear breach of the legally-binding Sino-British Joint Declaration,” Mr Raab said.

“China has once again broken its promises and undermined Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy. The UK will stand up for the people of Hong Kong and call out violations of their rights and freedoms.”

He added: “With our international partners, we will hold China to the obligations it freely assumed under international law.”

Pro-democracy legislators in the former British colony resigned en masse on Wednesday after the government moved to remove four of them.

It came after China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee passed a resolution saying those who support Hong Kong’s independence or refuse to acknowledge Beijing’s sovereignty over the region should be disqualified.

China has in recent months moved to clamp down on opposition voices in Hong Kong with the imposition of a national security law, after months of anti-government protests rocked the city.

Foreign Office minister Nigel Adams told MPs in the House of Commons that the government would consider sanctions against Chinese officials.

“We will continue to consider designations under our Magnitsky-style sanctions regime,” he told parliament. “It’s not entirely appropriate to speculate who may be designated under the sanctions regime in the future, as that could reduce the impact.”

In July the government unveiled new sanctions regime against individuals suspected of human rights abuses — including 25 Russian nationals alleged to have been involved in the death of auditor Sergei Magnitsky, who uncovered corruption by tax and police officials.

Mr Adams added: “Hong Kong’s people are left now with a neutered legislature. China has yet again broken its promise to the people of Hong Kong. Its actions tarnish China’s international reputation and undermined Hong Kong’s long-term stability.”

It is the third time the UK government had declared a breach in the joint declaration since 1997 — but the second time in the last six months. The government has already suspended its extradition treaty to Hong Kong and extended its arms embargo over the recent security law.

Earlier on Wednesday, the permanent undersecretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCO) summoned the Chinese ambassador in London to express “deep concerns” at the latest move.

The FCO claims the expulsion of MPs in Hong Kong breaches both China’s commitment that the territory will enjoy a “high degree of autonomy”, and the right to freedom of speech guaranteed under Paragraph 3 and Annex I of the joint declaration.