China warns new Hong Kong lawmakers to avoid backing independence

Beijing has warned anti-China activists who have managed to enter the parliament in Hong Kong to avoid backing independence for the semi-autonomous region.

The Chinese government said in a statement late Monday that no talk of independence would be tolerated “inside or outside” the legislature of Hong Kong, criticizing some of the new lawmakers for using the recent elections in the city to “openly promote” independence.

“We firmly oppose any activity relating to Hong Kong independence in any form, inside or outside the Legislative Council, and firmly support the Hong Kong government to impose punishment in accordance with the law,” said the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council (China’s cabinet).

The statement said those pro-independence campaigns before parliamentary elections in Hong Kong had been against China's constitution, as well as Hong Kong's own mini-constitution, known as the Basic Law.

“It is also against the fundamental interests of all Hong Kong residents,” said the office on its website.

The new parliament in Hong Kong, known as the Legislative Council, will convene on October 1. The results of the votes last weekend showed that activists pushing for more autonomy from China managed to secure seats in the chamber. The turnout in the votes, the first major poll since pro-democracy rallies in 2014, was the highest since the city was handed back to China by Britain under a deal in 1997.

Lawmakers are supposed to start their mandate by swearing an oath to uphold the constitution, which describes Hong Kong as part of China. Under the deal signed between Britain and China, Hong Kong is ruled under a “one country, two systems” deal that protected the city's freedoms for 50 years.

SS