Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Boris Johnson urged to put Hong Kong on G7 agenda

Boris Johnson urged to put Hong Kong on G7 agenda

A group of former British foreign ministers urge Prime Minister Boris Johnson to rally international action over Beijing’s Hong Kong actions.

Six former British foreign secretaries have urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to “ensure that the crisis in Hong Kong is on the agenda” at the G7 leaders’ summit in Cornwall next week.

In an open letter to the British leader, the ex-officials lashed out at China’s crackdown on political opposition in the former colony and its “ongoing breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration”.

“In the last few months, Beijing has arrested 47 pro-democracy activists and lawmakers under the national security law for the ‘crime’ of holding democratic primaries, introduced changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system to prevent pro-democracy parties from standing, and passed an immigration bill which will allow for the introduction of ‘exit bans’,” read the letter signed by a group of former Conservative and Labour ministers.

“As the human rights situation in Hong Kong continues to deteriorate, we hope you will personally recognise the pronounced need for international leadership from the UK government on this matter,” it continued.

The letter was signed by the former Labour foreign ministers David Owen, Margaret Beckett, Jack Straw and David Miliband, as well as the Conservatives Malcolm Rifkind and William Hague.

Britain is chair of the Group of 7 (G7) this year, which comes at a time of heightened tensions between G7 nations and China over a raft of issues, including Hong Kong.

It has regularly criticised China’s breaches of the handover agreement which saw Hong Kong return to Beijing rule in 1997.

Earlier this year, it rolled out a scheme by which millions of Hong Kong residents could apply for a new visa that will allow them to live and work in Britain and, after six years, apply for citizenship.

But it is under pressure from a growing faction of hardline lawmakers to take a firmer line, with a sizeable group of MPs advocating for sanctions on top Hong Kong officials.

A British foreign ministry spokesperson pointed to Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab’s call with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in May, in which he “reiterated the UK’s ongoing concern at the situation in Hong Kong and human rights violations in Xinjiang, and underlined the importance of giving the UN’s human rights experts unfettered access to Xinjiang”.

The Chinese embassy in London did not respond to a request for comment.

A woman holds a placard that reads “China is destroying historical mosques in East Turkistan”, using an unofficial name for Xinjiang, as members of the Uyghur community living in Turkey stage a protest outside the Chinese consulate in Istanbul on Wednesday.


China-related issues formed a key part of the G7 foreign ministers’ summit in May, with a lengthy statement devoting a paragraph to Hong Kong.

“We call on China and the Hong Kong authorities to end the targeting of those who defend rights and freedoms and democratic values, to uphold the independence of the judicial system and to ensure cases are not transferred to the mainland,” read the statement.

The statement also voiced support for Taiwanese participation at the World Health Organization, voiced concerns over tensions in the East and South China seas, as well as “human rights violations and abuses in Xinjiang and in Tibet”.

While no official agenda has been published for the summit, China is expected to feature heavily again.

“It is going to be jolly difficult for them to keep [avoiding] talking. It really is top of everybody’s agenda,” said Charles Parton, a veteran British diplomat in China, who added that Britain and other members may be “reluctant to go too hard on China” due to their need to balance commercial issues.

Britain has invited a group of Asia-Pacific nations to attend as guests, three of which – Australia, India and South Korea – have ongoing trade, territorial and political disputes with Beijing.

All but one G7 member, Japan, joined a multilateral sanctioning effort against China in March, targeting officials involved in the treatment of Uygurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.

China retaliated with sweeping sanctions on officials, academics and researchers across the EU, Britain and the US, a reaction which prompted European parliamentarians to scupper the ratification process for an EU-China investment deal.

Analysts suggested that the US will be pushing for firmer action from the G7, but that the group is limited in what it can do in practice.

“China is increasingly a concern for all Western countries, but at the same time, I think that the EU, for example, is still trying to walk a fine balance,” said Anna Rosenberg, head of the Europe and UK practice at Signum Global Advisors.

“They’re realising recently that yes, there are threats coming out of China, but the EU, especially Germany, and Italy, don’t want to expose themselves too much to the US either.”

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×