Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

UK foreign minister Dominic Raab to raise Hong Kong protests in talks with French and German counterparts

The diplomatic force of European action will be strongest if the three countries act together, says an advocate for the pro-democracy demonstrators. The British foreign secretary considers Hong Kong and Iran his top two foreign policy issues, according to people familiar with his thinking
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will discuss Hong Kong’s situation with his German and French counterparts on Wednesday, his office said on Tuesday.

A London-based advocate for the protesters in Hong Kong said Raab should make use of his separate meetings with Heiko Maas and Jean-Yves Le Drian, the foreign ministers of Germany and France, to discuss asylum situations and to promote an independent investigation into the increasingly violent situation.

The meetings will take place in Brussels on the sidelines of the Nato foreign ministers’ meeting.

“The foreign secretary will also use today’s visit to separately meet with his E3 French and German counterparts to discuss shared foreign policy challenges, including … the escalation of protests in Hong Kong,” Britain’s Foreign Office said in a statement.

Raab’s meetings come two days after the European Union – of which all three countries are members – urged the Hong Kong government not to delay the district council elections planned for Sunday.

People familiar with his thinking said Raab considered Hong Kong and Iran his top two foreign policy issues.

Johnny Patterson, director of Hong Kong Watch, said: “With the situation in Hong Kong on a knife edge, it is vital that European leaders step up. Dominic Raab should stand with his French and German counterparts to call for an independent inquiry into the protests as this is the only viable route to a political solution.”

Patterson said the diplomatic force of European action would be strongest if these countries acted together.

“They should draw up a contingency plan if Hongkongers start seeking asylum, and should tell Beijing that the further erosion of rights and freedoms will result in the application of coordinated Magnitsky sanctions,” he said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government has committed to implementing a global Magnitsky Act to punish perpetrators of human rights abuses. Campaigners have called for this to be applied to Hong Kong officials.

Germany has granted asylum to two Hong Kong activists, though they were not related to the protests that started in June when Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor rolled out a divisive extradition bill, which has since been withdrawn.

Maas attracted criticism from China in September when he met Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Hong Kong's leading student activist, in Berlin.

Germany and France should coordinate with Britain on how to come to a unified position on Hong Kong, according to foreign policy experts in the two countries.

The meetings “should serve to come to a common understanding about the severity of what is happening” in Hong Kong, with a joint position and “ideally one that bites a bit more beyond just stating that all sides should be restrained”, said Mikko Huotari, deputy director of the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin.

“Beyond statements, they should discuss: Can/should there be any effective conditionality attached to our ‘concerns’? What leverage – if at all – do we have?” Huotari said in an emailed reply.

Antoine Bondaz, fellow at the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research, said the top priority for France would be to have a coordinated and united approach with the British.

On Monday, the European Union warned the Hong Kong government not to delay the district council elections scheduled for Sunday, amid speculation about a possible postponement amid the protests.

The 28-country bloc also called for police action to remain “strictly proportionate” in and around Polytechnic University, where a tense stand-off between radical protesters and police continued.

The statement came in the form of a declaration by the European Commission’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, on behalf of the EU.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Saudi Arabia Faces Uncertainty Over Succession After Mohammed bin Salman
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Majority of French Voters View Macron's Presidency as a Failure
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
×