China lodges representations to Britain over remarks on HK affairs

China has lodged solemn representations to Britain over its foreign secretary's remarks on Hong Kong affairs, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Thursday.

Hua Chunying. [File photo: fmprc.gov.cn]

Hua made the remarks at a routine press briefing in response to a question regarding a British human rights activist's barred entry to Hong Kong.

According to reports, Benedict Rogers, a British human rights activist and co-founder of the Conservative Party's Human Rights Commission, was denied entry to Hong Kong after arriving from Bangkok on Wednesday.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said London needed an explanation from Hong Kong and Beijing as "Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy, and its rights and freedoms, are central to its way of life and should be fully respected."

Hua said Hong Kong is a special administrative region (SAR) of China, and therefore Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs. 

She said that it is China's sovereign right to deny or approve anyone's entry to Hong Kong.

"Rogers himself is clear about whether his trip to Hong Kong was intended to interfere in the SAR's internal affairs and judicial independence," said Hua, reiterating that China firmly opposes any government, organization or person's interference in China's domestic affairs.