‘Important areas’ of ‘one country, two systems’ under threat, UK foreign secretary says in report
Document by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson cites Beijing’s increasing influence in Hong Kong and reports of mainland security officials operating in city
The British government has warned that “important areas” of the “one country, two systems” model under which China governs Hong Kong have come under increasing pressure, citing reports of mainland security officials operating in the city and Beijing’s increasing influence.
In his latest six-monthly report to the UK parliament on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson made clear that the Sino-British Joint Declaration, under which Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy is enshrined, remains as valid today as it was when it was signed by the British and mainland Chinese governments in 1984.
“We judge that ‘one country, two systems’ has generally functioned well since 1997. We can look back at Hong Kong’s significant achievements over the last 20 years since the handover, and look forward to many more in the years to come,” the report said.
“However, at the same time, we cannot ignore that important areas of the ‘one country, two systems’ framework are coming under increasing pressure.”
Watch: What does ‘one country, two systems’ mean?
In response to the report, the Hong Kong government said in a statement: “Foreign governments should not interfere in any form in the internal affairs of the (city).”