Beijing have threatened Britain they will “strike back” if Britain “steps out of line” over the security laws China have introduced.
Relations have rapidly deteriorated between the British government and Beijing over Huawei and Hong Kong’s new laws.
On Friday the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) launched a report on Hong Kong and China has been warned to “reconsider” Hong Kong’s autonomy.
The FCO warned China “to step back from the brink and respect Hong Kong’s autonomy and respect its own international obligations.
“The UK will not look the other way when it comes to the people of Hong Kong, we will stand by them, and we will live up to our responsibilities.”
MPs have also called on the international governments to avoid technology with Chinese links, including Huawei, Zoom, and WeChat and protect privacy and data.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), tabloid The Global Times, warned that the British economy faces “substantial damage,” if the British government does not change their course.
HSBC and investments into UK nuclear plants in the UK could be compromised if “the UK steps out of line.”
The Global Times said these sectors “could be impacted” and that Britain “does not have many cards to play.”
Adding, “further moves to cut co-operation could shoot the UK in its own foot.”
The Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was told by the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, last week that Hong Kong is “purely China’s internal affair.”
Liu Xiaoming, China’s ambassador in London said, “Some UK politicians still cling to the Cold War and colonial mentality, and refuse to accept the fact that Hong Kong has been returned to China.”
Euan Graham, a former British diplomat and senior fellow in Asia-Pacific security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore said, “China is picking fights on all fronts.”
“Their diplomacy is very confrontational.
“There are no calming voices on the Chinese side right now.
“They have to follow the path Xi has chosen.
“In Hong Kong, they have calculated that they can ride roughshod over the treaty agreements.
“But the offer of [British] passports has clearly got them rattled.”
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