US, UK and European officials call for China to honour Hong Kong commitments on handover anniversary

Beijing has fallen short in upholding ‘one country, two systems’ arrangement agreed in Sino-British Joint Declaration, says British Prime Minister Boris Johnson

National security law set stage for erosion of autonomy and dismantling of Hong Kong residents’ rights and freedoms, adds US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

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Hong Kong secondary school students at a Chinese national flag-raising ceremony on Thursday to mark the 25th anniversary of the former British colony’s handover. Photo: AP

Published: 10:59am, 1 Jul 2022Updated: 3:40pm, 1 Jul 2022

American, British and European officials called on Beijing to honour its commitments to provide a “high degree of autonomy” to Hong Kong and uphold protected freedoms in the city on the 25th anniversary of its return to Chinese control.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said China had fallen short of its commitments under the “one country, two systems” arrangement agreed as part of the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the British government would seek to hold it accountable.

“We simply cannot avoid the fact that, for some time now, Beijing has been failing to comply with its obligations,” Johnson said in a video message posted on Thursday evening. “It’s a state of affairs that threatens both the rights and freedoms of Hongkongers and the continued progress and prosperity of their home.”

The British government has said for several years that China is not compliant with the Joint Declaration, which guaranteed “a high degree of autonomy” for the city for 50 years, except when it comes to defence or foreign affairs.

Signed in 1984, the pact paved the way for the handover, with China agreeing the city’s society, economic system and freedoms would remain unchanged until 2047. In recent years, Chinese officials have called the Joint Declaration a “historical document” that is no longer binding.