LONDON, Nov 23 (Reuters) – Britain is contemplating pulling its judges out of Hong Kong’s highest courtroom, International Secretary Dominic Raab stated on Monday, in its newest response to what it considers China’s breaches of its worldwide obligations within the territory.

Britain, which dominated Hong Kong for over 150 years till it handed it again to China in 1997, says a brand new safety regulation imposed on the territory by Beijing in July was a breach of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration that paved the best way for the handover.

London has additionally objected to new guidelines imposed by mainland China to disqualify elected legislators in Hong Kong, and to what it describes as retribution by the territory’s govt towards political opposition and silencing of dissent.

“This has been, and continues to be, essentially the most regarding interval in Hong Kong’s post-handover historical past,” Raab wrote in his foreword to the most recent in an everyday sequence of six-monthly studies on Hong Kong.

China has rejected all of Britain’s criticisms and accused it of in search of to meddle in inside Chinese language affairs.

Within the foreword, Raab stated he had begun consulting on what to do about British judges who at the moment sit on Hong Kong’s high courtroom.

“I’ve begun consultations with Lord Reed, President of the UK Supreme Court docket, regarding when to assessment whether or not it continues to be applicable for British judges to take a seat as non-permanent judges on the Hong Kong Court docket of Remaining Attraction,” Raab stated.

Britain had already introduced new immigration guidelines making it simpler for individuals from Hong Kong to stay in the UK, suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and prolonged its China arms embargo to incorporate Hong Kong.

(Reporting by Estelle Shirbon, Modifying by Timothy Heritage)