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
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
EU Majority Demands Hungary Reverse Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws
Top Hotel Picks for 2025 Stays in Budapest Revealed
Iron Maiden Unveils 2025 Tour Setlist in Budapest
Chinese Film Week Opens in Budapest to Promote Cultural Exchange
Budapest Airport Launches Direct Flights to Shymkent
Von der Leyen Denies Urging EU Officials to Skip Budapest Pride
Alcaraz and Sinner Advance with Convincing Wins at Roland Garros
EU Ministers Lack Consensus on Sanctioning Hungary Over Rule of Law
EU Nations Urge Action Against Hungary's Pride Parade Ban
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
U.S. Considers Withdrawing Troops from Europe
Russia Deploys Motorbike Squads in Ukraine Conflict
Critics Accuse European Court of Human Rights of Overreach
Spain Proposes 100% Tax on Non-EU Holiday Home Purchases
German Intelligence Labels AfD as Far-Right Extremist
Geert Wilders Threatens Dutch Coalition Over Migration Policy
Hungary Faces Multiple Challenges Amid EU Tensions and Political Shifts
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Any trade deal with US must be based on respect not threats', says EU commissioner
UK Leads in Remote Work Adoption, Averaging 1.8 Days a Week
Thirteen Killed in Russian Attacks Across Ukraine
High-Profile Incidents and Political Developments Dominate Global News
Netanyahu Accuses Western Leaders of 'Emboldening Hamas'
Ukraine and Russia Conduct Largest Prisoner Exchange of the War
×