China has warned the UK not to interfere in Hong Kong’s affairs after announcing broader citizenship measures for Hong Kong residents and reserves the right to retaliate against the decision through relevant measures.

Hong Kong’s citizens were offered rights and citizenship after China introduced new security rules for the former British territory.

Hong Kong was part of British imperialism but was ceded to China in 1997 on the condition that China protects its judicial and legal sovereignty for 50 years.

The UK has developed a plan that covers the 3 million people in Hong Kong who have or are eligible for a British National Overseas Passport.

A statement from China said that if Britain acted unilaterally, it would violate its sovereignty and international law.

In this regard, China further said that we oppose it and reserve the right to take action in this regard.

China has not yet formally announced its granting of citizenship or wider residency rights to holders of British National Overseas Passports.

China also called on the United Kingdom to reconsider its decision and refrain from interfering in the Hong Kong issue in any way.

Decades after withdrawing from the European Union, Britain has vowed to forge closer ties with China. In January, the US government surprised the US administration by allowing the private Chinese telecom group Huawei to operate in their country and network.

However, the UK is now considering cutting off Huawei and allowing European and Chinese groups to provide services in order to overcome China’s dominance.

It may be recalled that after the implementation of the new security law by China, the Chinese ambassador to the UK was summoned to protest and also expressed his concerns.

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