China urges Britain to stop interfering in Hong Kong's affairs

China on Monday expressed "strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition" to a newspaper opinion piece by a British minister and has urged Britain to immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong's internal affairs.

"The British minister of state at the foreign office (Hugo Swire) issued an article in a newspaper in which he openly made irresponsible remarks on Hong Kong's political system. The Chinese government expresses strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to it," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei told a daily news briefing.

Hong said that the development of the political system is an internal affair for Hong Kong and a domestic affair of China. "We do not allow any interference by external forces," said the spokesman.

The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) also expressed its solemn position of opposing interference by any foreign force, Hong said.

"We urge the British side to immediately stop intervening in Hong Kong's internal affairs in any form," he said.

Hong Kong suffered long-term colonial rule, said Hong. Since the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997, the Basic Law of the HKSAR has fully protected fundamental rights and freedom of the Hong Kong people. The development of Hong Kong's political system has been steadily promoted in accordance with the Basic Law and resolutions of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, he said.