Hong Kong electoral changes: government hits back at ‘unfounded’ accusations by EU that Beijing breaching treaty commitments

European Union is using Hong Kong issues as pretext to attack the Asian giant, government says in defence of political system overhaul

Rebuke comes after EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said the reforms and national security law ran counter to obligations enshrined in Sino-British Joint Declaration

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Under the new electoral changes in Hong Kong, the proportion of directly elected seats in the Legislative Council will be reduced. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 11:46pm, 10 Jun 2021Updated: 2:08am, 11 Jun 2021

Hong Kong has rejected the European Union’s “unfounded” allegations that Beijing has breached the Sino-British Joint Declaration by overhauling the financial hub’s electoral system and installing a national security law.

The government also accused Brussels of using Hong Kong issues as a pretext to attack Beijing and defended the security law as helping to restore stability after the 2019 social unrest.

The strongly worded rebuke released late on Thursday came just hours after the EU said the city’s electoral overhaul ran “counter to the commitments to greater democratic representation enshrined in the Hong Kong Basic Law”, as well as “another breach of the one country, two systems principle”.

EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell has said the changes to Hong Kong over the past year were a source of concern for the bloc. Photo: AFP

EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said Beijing’s changes to Hong Kong over the past year “contradict China’s international commitments under the [declaration] … and have a negative impact on the EU’s legitimate expectations and interests”.

The declaration that Britain and Beijing signed in 1984 laid the groundwork for the city’s handover from the colonial power to China in 1997. It stated that the basic policies regarding Hong Kong would remain unchanged for 50 years, including the promise the city would retain a high degree of autonomy.

Borrell said the EU would increase support for Hong Kong’s civil society and media, promote freedom of expression and facilitate the mobility of its residents, as well as ensure monitoring of the trials of opposition figures.

A delegation of high-level officials from the bloc would consider visiting the city given the deep concerns over the changes, he added.