BEIJING, July 3-- China on Wednesday expressed strong dissatisfaction with and firm opposition to the recent comments on Hong Kong made by British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, urging him to stop wanton interference in Hong Kong affairs. "He seems to be fantasizing in the faded glory of British colonialism and obsessed with the bad habit of criticizing and lecturing on other countries' affairs condescendingly," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a daily press briefing. Geng said China has lodged stern representations with Britain over Hunt's comments. According to The Times, Hunt said on Tuesday that he expected China to honor the Sino-British Joint Declaration, a treaty signed in 1984 when Margaret Thatcher was the prime minister, and that "there will be serious consequences if that internationally binding legal agreement were not to be honored." Geng said as Hong Kong returned to the motherland, the rights and obligations of the British side under the Joint Declaration were completely fulfilled. On July 1, 1997, China resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong and the Chinese government started administering it in accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law, said Geng. "The British side has no sovereignty over Hong Kong, nor does it have administrative power or supervisory power since its return. It has no so-called responsibility for Hong Kong at all," said Geng, calling it "sheer delusion with mawkish sentimentality" for the British side to "consider itself as a guardian." |