UK's Raab says China's changes in Hong Kong breach Joint Declaration

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said on Tuesday that China had breached the 1984 Joint Declaration by enacting changes to Hong Kong's electoral system which undermined the freedoms of people in the former British colony.

"Today China enacted changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system which are a clear breach of the Joint Declaration – undermining the freedoms of the people of Hong Kong and breaking Beijing’s international obligations," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said.

Hong Kong’s autonomy was guaranteed under the “one country, two systems” agreement enshrined in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration signed by then Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Kate Holton)