Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to fulfil their legal obligations under the Sino-British Joint Declaration to monitor and speak out for basic freedoms and the rule of law in Hong Kong.

Our commitment to Hong Kong as a co-signatory of the Joint Declaration is as strong as ever. On 2 December the Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Reading West (Mr Sharma) visited Hong Kong and spoke publicly about the importance of Hong Kong's rights and freedoms. The Government's most recent assessment of the basic freedoms and the rule of law in Hong Kong is set out in the Foreign Secretary's Six-Monthly Report to the House of 12 October. In this we stated that" despite challenges, the UK believes that "One Country, Two Systems" has provided a successful framework for almost two decades, and can continue to do so". The full report can be found online - (https://www.gov.uk/government/world-location-news/six-monthly-report-to-parliament-on-hong-kong-january-june-2016).