Britain ‘expects’ China to respect autonomy of Hong Kong

Britain called on China Friday to respect the autonomy of Hong Kong as Beijing moves to impose security reforms on Hong Kong.

China has proposed a set of new national security laws that would launch the establishment of Chinese intelligence bases in the global financial hub, a move that U.S. officials have called a “death knell” for Hong Kong’s independence.

“We are monitoring the situation closely and expect China to respect Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms and high degree of autonomy,” the spokesperson for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, Reuters reported. “As a party to the joint declaration, the U.K. is committed to upholding Hong Kong’s autonomy and respecting the one country, two systems model.”