The United Kingdom has reiterated its concern over China’s approach to Hong Kong, accusing Beijing of eroding the territory’s rights and freedoms and breaching the international treaty under which the one-time British colony was returned to China, prompting angry reactions from Beijing and Hong Kong.
In the latest six-monthly assessment of the situation in Hong Kong [PDF], the UK government cited events including the closely-controlled process under which John Lee became the territory’s new leader, the continued arrest and prosecution “of those who dissent” and ongoing national security trials as evidence of the deterioration of Hong Kong’s political and civic life.
The report, released on Thursday in the UK, covered the period from January to June 2022.
“Hong Kong’s autonomy is declining, and the pervasive, chilling effect of the National Security Law seeps into all aspects of society,” Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in his introduction to the report.
“Freedoms are being systematically eroded by Beijing on multiple fronts, tightening the restrictions on the lives of ordinary Hong Kongers.”
The broadly-worded law punishes “terrorism”, collusion with foreign forces, subversion and secession with possible life in prison, limiting the chance for defendants to secure bail and removing jury trials. Critics say the law has been used to crack down on dissent with human rights group Amnesty International, which closed its office in the territory in 2021, arguing Hong Kong was on the road to becoming a police state.
The latest analysis from the UK government drew angry condemnation from Hong Kong’s government as well as Beijing officials.
In a statement late on Thursday, the Hong Kong government said it “vehemently refutes the slandering remarks and ill-intentioned political attacks” in the UK’s report.
Hong Kong is an “inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China”, it said, accusing the UK of interfering in the territory’s affairs and urging it “to respect the basic norms governing international relations”.
The Chinese Embassy in the UK echoed those comments, saying the UK report “distorted facts, grossly interfered in Hong Kong affairs, which are China’s internal affairs, and seriously violated the basic norms governing international relations”.
The UK government began the six-monthly update after the territory was returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with Beijing promising to respect Hong Kong’s high autonomy and distinctive way of life for at least 50 years. While the territory has never been a democracy, its people long enjoyed rights and freedoms unknown on the mainland.
“There is no doubt that China is failing to comply with the Sino-British Joint Declaration [PDF],” Cleverly said in his remarks. “Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms have been sacrificed to facilitate greater control by Beijing, undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy. China is diminishing the way of life promised to Hong Kong 25 years ago.”
The UK said it was closely watching the case of pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who also has UK citizenship, and whose decision to retain a British barrister was rejected by the Hong Kong government even after its own courts upheld the request.
Lee referred the issue to Beijing’s National People’s Congress at the end of November – just before Lai’s trial under the security law was due to start – and at the end of December the NPC announced its findings, saying foreign lawyers were not completely excluded from such proceedings.
“We will watch closely how the Chief Executive implements the decision,” Cleverly said.
The trial of Lai, the founder of the hugely popular Apple Daily, which was closed in 2021, is now due to start in September.
Cleverly said while the UK was prepared to “work constructively” with Lee it would “judge the Hong Kong government based on its actions”.
“We call on the Chief Executive to respect rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, and to uphold the rule of law. It is in China’s interests that Hong Kong maintain its distinctiveness,” he said.
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
