Hong Kong: Human Rights and Press Freedom

(asked on 4th June 2020) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect (a) journalists and (b) human rights defenders in Hong Kong.


Answered by
Nigel Adams Portrait
Nigel Adams
This question was answered on 9th June 2020

We expect the Hong Kong authorities to abide by international human rights laws and practices. The UK remains committed to upholding Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and rights and freedoms underpinned by the Joint Declaration and the "One Country, Two Systems" framework set out in the Basic Law. In a call with Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on 8 June, the Foreign Secretary made clear that Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and rights and freedoms must be preserved in line with China's international obligations under the Joint Declaration. Officials have also raised issues of concern regularly at senior levels with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government.

In our six-monthly reports to Parliament, we have regularly highlighted the importance of freedom of the press and set out our views on specific incidents of concern. We will of course continue to do so, including in the next Six-monthly Report which the Foreign Secretary intends to publish soon.

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