A row between London and Beijing over China’s refusal to allow British MPs to visit Hong Kong escalated yesterday, with Downing Street calling the decision “mistaken” and “counter-productive”.
Chinese embassy officials last week told Sir Richard Ottaway, chairman of the House of Commons foreign affairs select committee, that his group would be refused entry for a visit to assess progress towards democracy.
Sir Richard called the decision “overtly confrontational”. A spokesman for David Cameron said: “It only serves to amplify concerns about the situation in Hong Kong rather than diminishing concerns.” Britain had “a legitimate . . . interest” in how the 1984 Sino-British joint declaration on Hong Kong was implemented, he added.