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China Says ‘Foreign Forces’ Must Stop Interfering in Hong Kong

China Says ‘Foreign Forces’ Must Stop Interfering in Hong Kong

(Bloomberg) -- China’s envoy to the U.K. Liu Xiaoming said “foreign forces” must stop interfering in Hong Kong and respect Chinese sovereignty over the territory, which he said faces the “gravest situation” since the 1997 handover.

Speaking at a press conference in London, Liu said U.K.-China ties would be damaged if the British government tried to intervene in Hong Kong, adding that some politicians still regard the territory as part of the U.K. and should “change their mindset.”

China Says ‘Foreign Forces’ Must Stop Interfering in Hong Kong

The Chinese government has repeatedly criticized the British government’s comments on the unrest in Hong Kong, which has stretched into an 11th week and put the squeeze on the territory’s business and tourism. Liu said he hopes the new U.K. administration under Prime Minister Boris Johnson will handle the issue “with great caution.” A prosperous and stable Hong Kong is in the interests of both the U.K. and China, he said.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab this month called Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam to discuss his concerns about the situation in Hong Kong, and the protests there. His predecessor had announced a ban on export licenses for crowd control equipment after protesters clashed with police, and spoke about “brave citizens” standing up for their rights. China has also blamed the U.S. for playing a role in the Hong Kong unrest.

Liu also criticized the Western media for distorting events in Hong Kong.

China took control of Hong Kong in 1997, ending 156 years of British rule, after former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher negotiated a “one country, two systems” agreement. It was designed to guarantee freedoms and was sealed with a joint declaration signed by Britain and China in 1984. Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong frequently invoke that deal and call on the U.K. to intervene when they feel its terms are being ignored.

What started as protests over a now-suspended extradition bill have widened into ongoing demonstrations against Beijing’s tightening grip on the semi-autonomous Chinese city. Liu said he still regards the legislation to be in Hong Kong’s interests, while acknowledging that it would take time for the government to “convince the Hong Kong public” of that.

With no sign to an end to the unrest, speculation has been growing that China will send in troops -- an outcome that would likely trigger an international backlash that may do irreparable harm to the city’s economy. On the flipside, allowing the protests to continue risks encouraging dissidents in other parts of China agitating for political change.

Asked if a Chinese intervention wouldn’t do even more damage to Hong Kong as a global financial center, he said that if the alternative was violent unrest that “goes on and on,” swift intervention would be better for the business community. He didn’t give details of what that would entail.

“We have full trust and confidence” in the Hong Kong administration’s ability to handle the situation and “bring this to an end in an orderly way,” he said. But he added that if events deteriorate and become “uncontrollable, the Chinese government will certainly not sit by and watch. We have enough solutions, enough power to quell the unrest swiftly.”

To contact the reporters on this story: Marc Champion in London at mchampion7@bloomberg.net;Stuart Biggs in London at sbiggs3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Mark Williams, Andrew Langley

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