China's plan to impose a new security law on Hong Kong puts it in direct violation of its international commitments, Britain, the United States, Canada and Australia said Thursday.

"China's decision to impose the new national security law on Hong Kong lies in direct conflict with its international obligations under the principles of the legally binding, UN-registered Sino-British Joint Declaration," the four allies said in a joint statement.

"The proposed law would undermine the One Country, Two Systems framework," they added, referring to Hong Kong's special status within China under the terms of its handover from Britain in 1997.

The condemnation was issued after China's parliament rubber-stamped a law initially proposed by the National People's Congress after huge pro-democracy protests rocked the financial hub for seven months last year.

The United States took the dramatic step of revoking the special status conferred on Hong Kong in response, paving the way for the territory to be stripped of trading and economic privileges.

The four nations said they were "extremely concerned that this action will exacerbate the existing deep divisions in Hong Kong society; the law does nothing to build mutual understanding and foster reconciliation within Hong Kong."

Their statement added: "The world's focus on a global pandemic requires enhanced trust in governments and international cooperation. Beijing's unprecedented move risks having the opposite effect."

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab later told reporters that the UK would change its rules around the rights of "British National Overseas" (BNO) passport holders if China went ahead with the new law.

Before Britain gave the city back to China in 1997 it offered Hong Kongers a special BNO status to calm those worried about their future under Beijing's rule.

Holders can currently enter Britain without a visa and remain for up to six months, as well as get consular assistance abroad.

But they have no right to live in the UK.

Raab said that could be changed to allow for extendable periods of 12 months, adding "that would itself provide a pathway to future citizenship".

"If China continues down this path and implements this national security legislation we will change that status, and we will remove that six month limit," he added.

There were 314,779 BNO passports in circulation as of December 31, 2019, the British government said in March, out of a population of around 7.5 million people in Hong Kong.

Russia slams 'dangerous' US foreign policy moves
Moscow (AFP) May 28, 2020 - Russia said on Thursday the United States was acting in a dngerous and unpredictable way, after Washington withdrew from a key military treaty and moved to ramp up pressure on Iran.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made the comments after Washington announced it would end sanctions waivers for nations that remain in a nuclear accord signed with Iran. The remaining parties to the deal include Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.

US officials also said they would walk away from the Open Skies Treaty, which allows each signatory's military to conduct surveillance flights over another member country each year on short notice.

"Washington's actions are becoming more and more dangerous and unpredictable," Zakharova told reporters.

"The nature of this behaviour is clearly disruptive," Zakharova said, accusing Washington of undermining international security.

She also criticised the United States for exiting the INF missile treaty last year and failing to commit to renewing the New START arms control accord with Russia, which is due to expire in 2021.

President Donald Trump in 2018 withdrew the United States from a landmark agreement under which Iran had drastically curbed its nuclear activities and reimposed sanctions on Iran.

On Wednesday, Washington said it was ending sanctions waivers for the countries remaining in the Iran deal, bringing the agreement further to the verge of collapse.

Last week Trump also announced that he planned to withdraw the United States from the Open Skies Treaty, citing Russian violations.

India sidesteps Trump mediation offer over China border showdown
New Delhi (AFP) May 28, 2020 - India Thursday sidestepped US President Donald Trump's offers to mediate the country's border showdown with China, saying it was already engaged with Beijing to "resolve this issue".

Trump's offer on Wednesday came after Indian defence sources said hundreds of Chinese troops had moved into a disputed zone along their 3,500 kilometre-long (2,200 mile) frontier.

"We are engaged with the Chinese side to peacefully resolve this issue," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava told reporters during a weekly media briefing when asked about Trump's tweet.

"Our troops have taken a very responsible approach towards border management," Srivastava added.

"India is committed to the objective of maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas with China... At the same time, we remain firm in our resolve to ensuring India's sovereignty and national security."

Last year Trump offered to mediate between India and Pakistan over their Kashmir dispute, but it was tersely rejected by India.

While blaming each other for the flare-up, India and China -- the world's two most populous countries and nuclear-armed neighbours -- have stressed the need to negotiate a settlement to the latest dispute along their tortuous border.

Alice Wells, the top US State Department official for South Asia, said last week that China was seeking to upset the regional balance and had to be "resisted".

India and China fought a war over India's northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh in 1962. China still claims some 90,000 square kilometres (35,000 square miles) of territory under New Delhi's control.

While no shot has been fired across their border for more than four decades, there have been numerous face-offs. In 2017 there was a 72-day showdown after Chinese forces moved into the disputed Doklam plateau on the China-India-Bhutan border.

Punches and stones were thrown this month at Naku La in India's Sikkim state, which borders Bhutan, Nepal and China, before "dialogue and interaction" calmed tempers.

The focus has since moved to India's Ladakh region across the border from Tibet. Indian defence sources say Chinese forces have moved into Indian territory at four points.

The sources said hundreds of Chinese troops and vehicles have taken over the Indian side of the Galwan valley, one of the four disputed sites.

Diplomatic and military observers said both sides seemed to be digging in for another long face-off.

Related Links
Democracy in the 21st century at TerraDaily.com

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Hong Kong activists plan new protests over proposed security law
Hong Kong (AFP) May 24, 2020
Hong Kong's pro-democracy campaigners called for fresh protests on Sunday, their first test after China sparked outrage with a proposed new security law that many fear will spell the end of the city's treasured freedoms. The proposed legislation is expected to ban treason, subversion and sedition, and follows repeated warnings from Beijing that it will no longer tolerate dissent in Hong Kong, which was shaken by months of massive, sometimes violent anti-government protests last year. Through mes ... read more