New | Britain has ‘abandoned’ Hong Kong: former chief secretary
Anson Chan writes that Hong Kong has been 'betrayed by China, and abandoned by Britain'
Former Hong Kong chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang has blasted the British government’s “profoundly disappointing responses” to pro-democracy protests that have rocked the city since late September.
“It did after all sign a treaty, back in 1984, that guaranteed Hong Kong’s core values and way of life, including freedom of speech and assembly, until 2047.”
She bemoans Britain’s unwillingness to risk a stand-off with Beijing: “Their first instinct is to keep their heads low; they just want things to carry on as before, would like the protests to disappear, and maintain good relations with China.”
Chan served as chief secretary to both the British colonial government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government under China’s rule, and has been a sharp critic of Beijing’s electoral reform framework.