The Chinese delegation has been denied permission to visit the burning chamber of the deceased sovereign. British politicians sanctioned by China for criticizing the rights situation in the former colony. Thousands of Hong Kong citizens paid tribute to Elizabeth in defiance of warnings from the pro-Beijing establishment.
Hong Kong () – From the grave, British Queen Elizabeth II has managed to deliver a double “slap” to Xi Jinping. Today it became known that the speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle has denied a delegation from the Chinese government permission to visit the burning chamber of the deceased sovereign in Westminster Hall.
Hoyle made this decision due to sanctions imposed by China in 2021 on five MPs and two members of the House of Lords for accusing the Chinese government of repressing Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.
As a result of Beijing’s punitive measures, the Chinese ambassador in London is barred from entering Parliament. Two of the seven sanctioned British politicians, former ministers Iain Duncan Smith and Tim Loughton, have asked the Foreign Office to also withdraw Xi’s invitation to attend the queen’s funeral. Duncan Smith and Loughton said normal relations cannot be maintained with a country that oppresses Uyghurs, Tibetans and the people of Hong Kong.
However, the hardest “real” blow to Xi occurred a few days ago, when thousands of citizens of the former colony gathered in front of the British Consulate to pay tribute to Elizabeth II. Many of them braved the sweltering heat to sign the register of condolences and leave a wreath.
Some even expressed nostalgia for Britain’s colonial past. For two years now, city and Beijing authorities have been systematically cracking down on dissent. Hong Kong was a British colony for 150 years until 1997, when it returned to Chinese rule. The inhabitants remember that the British administration did not grant them universal suffrage, but they recognize that, thanks to London, the city became one of the most important financial centers in the world. The colonial era guaranteed respect for human rights and equality before the law, things that are difficult to find today.
For those who wanted to participate in the mourning, mourning the past is not a crime, the Hong Kong Free Press reports. The pro-Beijing establishment does not think the same. The Ta Kung Wen Hui, a publication linked to the Chinese Communist Party, in an article on September 13 criticized those who pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth, saying that greater efforts are needed to erase “the colonial mentality” of Hong Kong citizens. Kong.
(Photo, AFP)
Add Comment