EU Criticizes China for Eroding Rule of Law, Autonomy in Hong Kong

Annual report cites arrests of political activists, exit bans
‘One country, two systems’ is misinterpreted by China, EU says

China’s national flag, left, flies beside European Union (EU) flags ahead of the EU-China summit in Brussels, Belgium, on Tuesday, April 9, 2019. The EU and China managed to agree on a joint statement for Tuesday’s summit in Brussels, papering over divisions on trade in a bid to present a common front to U.S. President Donald Trump, EU officials said.Photographer: Geert Vanden Wijngaert/Bloomberg

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By Sofia Gerace

August 18, 2023 at 1:04 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

The European Union warned that China’s actions in Hong Kong and Macao are eroding the autonomy of those areas, as well as damaging democratic principles and fundamental freedoms.

“These developments increasingly cast doubt on the state of the rule of law in Hong Kong – a cornerstone of its economic success,” the EU said in its latest annual report on political and economic developments published Friday.