LONDON – Britain urged China on Thursday to open dialogue with Hong Kong protesters and respect the commitments it made 35 years ago in the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
The treaty signed on Dec. 19, 1984 pledged that Hong Kong’s high-degree of autonomy would be unchanged for 50 years after the former British colony was handed back to China in 1997.
“The agreement between the UK and China made clear that Hong Kong’s high-degree of autonomy, rights and freedoms would remain unchanged for 50 years,” British Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said.
“The only way to guarantee Hong Kong’s future success and stability is by respecting these and addressing the legitimate concerns of the people of Hong Kong through meaningful political dialogue,” he added.(Reuters)
