China warns Britain that ties are at risk if UK parliamentary inquiry continues
National People's Congress says ties may be at risk if UK parliamentary probe continues
The National People's Congress has written to British lawmakers telling them ties between the two nations are at risk unless they stay out of Hong Kong's affairs.
The foreign ministry in Beijing confirmed the warning yesterday, as the lawmaker heading a British inquiry on Hong Kong said the central government may have breached the terms of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration when it set rules for democratic elections in 2017.
As far as sanctions are concerned, we are in a fairly weak position
But the lawmaker, Richard Ottaway, admitted Britain was in a "weak" position when it came to admonishing China for a breach of the deal that settled Hong Kong's future and paved the way for the 1997 handover.
The debate arose after the NPC Standing Committee set a framework for political reform under which only two or three candidates could run in the first one-man, one-vote election for chief executive in 2017. They would need support from half of the members of a nominating committee expected to be dominated by Beijing loyalists.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Qin Gang said in Beijing that the NPC's Foreign Affairs Committee had written the letter, while ambassador to London Liu Xiaoming also conveyed China's views to the lawmakers.
"Issues concerning the political reform of Hong Kong fall into China's domestic affairs, which allow no interference from the outside," he said. "It is justifiable for the Chinese side to express its solemn position on this issue."