Leeds North East

Statement

Fabian Hamilton (Labour Party):

I am well aware that the Chinese Government has been persistently undermining the Joint Declaration for some time now and the 'One Country, Two Systems' agreement in Hong Kong is increasingly under threat. For several years Labour has consistently been calling for the UK Government to step up and call for concrete measures to push back on the Chinese Government's aggressive encroachment of Hong Kong's sovereignty.

Back in May I met with Hong Kong Watch - an advocacy group for Hong Kongers; in this meeting we discussed BNO visas, MPF, the current political situation in the region, and the state of diplomatic ties between China and the UK. The current state of affairs for Hong Kongers is at the front of my mind, and I know that the Labour Foreign Office Team has a clear plan too.

After 14 years of damaging Conservative inconsistency over China, Labour will bring a long-term and strategic approach to managing our relations. We will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must. We will improve the UK's capability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses through an audit of our bilateral relationship. We will always act in our interests and defend our sovereignty and our democratic values. We will always stand with and support members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK.

I can assure you that if re-elected on 4th July, I will stand up for the Hong Konger diaspora as best I can in Parliament.

You can see a full list of all the candidates for the Leeds North East constituency here.

Last updated: 24/6/2024