China has accused the UK of “gross interference” in Hong Kong’s affairs over Britain’s offer to give British National Overseas (BNO) passport-holders in Hong Kong a path to British citizenship.

Liu Xiaoming, China’s ambassador to the UK, made the remarks to reporters in an online briefing.

“The UK government keeps making irresponsible remarks on Hong Kong affairs,” he added. The citizenship offer, he said, “constitutes gross interference in China’s internal affairs”.

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It follows the imposition by Beijing of a so-called national security law that has already seen pro-democracy books removed from libraries in the city.

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