The UK and China issued new rounds of criticism on Sunday with the British foreign secretary hinting that he may suspend UK extradition agreements with Hong Kong over China’s moves against the city-state.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also accused Beijing of “serious and egregious” human rights abuses against its Uighur population in the western Chinese province of Xinjiang.
In response, the Chinese ambassador to the United Kingdom warned that China will give a “resolute response” to any measure by the United Kingdom to sanction officials for alleged rights abuses.
The comments were the latest signs of a sharp rise in tensions between the UK and China. Problems include China’s treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority and a comprehensive new national security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong, an autonomous territory that Britain handed over to China in 1997.
The UK’s recent decision to ban Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from engaging in the UK’s super-fast 5G mobile network has further weakened bilateral relations.
‘False accusations’
Raab said on Sunday that the British government has reviewed its extradition agreements with Hong Kong and that it plans to make a statement on Monday in Parliament on the matter.
Earlier this month, Australia suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in response to the imposition of China’s security legislation on the territory. Critics see the new law as a further erosion of the rule of law and freedoms that was promised to Hong Kong when it returned to Chinese rule.
Raab added that although the UK wants good relations with China, it was unable to resist amid reports of forced sterilization and mass education camps targeting the Uighur population in Xinjiang.
“It is clear that serious and egregious human rights abuses are taking place. We are working with our international partners on this. It is very, very worrying,” he told the BBC.
Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese ambassador, denied that there were concentration camps in Xinjiang during an interview with the BBC, and insisted that “there is no so-called population restriction.”
When faced with drone images that appeared to show the Uighurs blindfolded and driven to the trains, Liu said there are many “false accusations” against China.
Beijing was ready to respond in kind in the event that the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on Chinese officials, Liu added.
“If the UK goes that far to impose sanctions on anyone in China, China will certainly give a decisive response,” he said. “You have seen what happened between China [and] United States … I don’t want to see this happen between China and the United States in relations between China and the United Kingdom. “
Liu also said that the UK “should have its own independent foreign policy, instead of dancing to the Americans like what happened to Huawei.”
The criticism echoed comments this week from a Chinese government spokeswoman who accused the United Kingdom of colluding with Washington to harm Huawei and “discriminate, repress and exclude Chinese companies.”
‘Ugly face’
Relations have seriously deteriorated between the United States and China in recent months.
The Chinese embassy in Myanmar on Sunday accused the United States of “scandalously smearing” the country and creating a gap with its Southeast Asian neighbors over the disputed South China Sea and Hong Kong.
The Chinese embassy said that US agencies abroad were doing “nasty things” to contain China and showed a “selfish, hypocritical, despicable and ugly face.”
Last week, the United States hardened its position in the South China Sea, saying it would back countries in the region that defy Beijing.‘s claim about 90 percent of the strategic waterway.
In a statement Saturday, the United States embassy in Yangon called China’s actions in the South China Sea and Hong Kong “a broader pattern to undermine the sovereignty of its neighbors.”
China said the statement was “another farce on a world tour by the US authorities to divert attention to internal problems and seek selfish political gains.”
“The United States must first look in the mirror to see if it still looks like a major country now,” he said.
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