UK summons Chinese envoy amid growing diplomatic row over Hong Kong protests

Britain has summoned Chinese envoy Liu Xiaoming amid a growing diplomatic row between the two countries over the recent mass demonstrations in Hong Kong.

Xiaoming had recently criticised UK's stance on the mass demonstrations in the former British colony. The diplomatic discord between the two countries over the matter began on Tuesday after UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt urged Chinese authorities of "serious consequences" if they breached agreements made during the 1997 Hong Kong handover, reported Sputnik.

"Hong Kong is part of China and we have to accept that," Hunt said on Tuesday. "But the freedoms in Hong Kong are enshrined in a joint declaration" signed with its former colonial power, the UK.

The Spokesperson for Chinese foreign ministry Geng Shuang later slammed Hunt for the remark, saying that the latter seemed to "be fantasizing" about "the faded glory of British colonialism" and exhibits the "bad habit of gesticulating while looking down on other countries' affairs".

Hunt later went on to praise Hong Kong protestors who stormed the city's parliament building on the anniversary of the Hong Kong handover on July 1.

"Away from campaigning want to stress UK support for Hong Kong and its freedoms is UNWAVERING on this anniversary day. No violence is acceptable but HK people MUST preserve right to peaceful protest exercised within the law, as hundreds of thousands of brave people showed today," Hunt wrote on Twitter.

Deploring Hunt's tweet, Shuang issued a statement urging the UK to " reflect upon its erroneous words and deeds and stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China's domestic affairs in any form."

In recent weeks, Hong Kong has been shaken by huge demonstrations against a controversial extradition bill which many fear could be used to deport political activists and dissidents to mainland China.

The said bill was proposed on April 3, and its opposers argue that its controversial amendments will leave anyone on Hong Kong soil vulnerable to being grabbed by the Chinese authorities for political reasons or inadvertent business offences.

( With inputs from ANI )