Britain's repeated manipulation of BNO scheme will backfire: Commissioner's office of Chinese foreign ministry in HKSAR

HONG KONG, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- The office of the commissioner of the Chinese foreign ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Friday strongly condemned and firmly rejected the British National Overseas (BNO) scheme extension announced by the British government Thursday.

The BNO scheme extension grossly interfered in China's internal affairs including Hong Kong affairs, and seriously violated international law and basic norms governing international relations, said a spokesperson for the commissioner's office.

In breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration and relevant agreements in memorandums exchanged between China and Britain and in disregard of China's firm opposition and solemn counter-measures, the British side repeatedly manipulated the BNO issue under the pretext of the national security law in Hong Kong, and openly provided shelters for anti-China forces in Hong Kong, laying out in plain sight its hypocrisy and motive to disrupt Hong Kong, the spokesperson said.

Britain broke its own promises and played the trick of a thief crying "stop thief". "How can such an unjustifiable action be supported by the people and the international community?" the spokesperson asked.

The spokesperson said that thanks to the national security law in Hong Kong and the new electoral system, Hong Kong is entering a new historical stage of transition from chaos to stability and prosperity.

It has been reported by a number of media outlets that some Hong Kong people suffered discrimination and livelihood difficulties in Britain and fell into the "immigration trap", the spokesperson said.

Britain's botched political manipulation can not deceive the Hong Kong people or undermine the unity and stability in the SAR, nor can it stop the sustained implementation of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson urged the British side to recognize the historical trend, abandon colonial nostalgia in Hong Kong, correct wrongdoings and stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs in any form, otherwise it will bear the consequences.