Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese ambassador to the UK, has referred to Hong Kong as the territory that is “no longer under colonial rule” but that is part of China, expressing hope that the UK won’t interfere in the Asian country’s internal affairs.

He contended that the country would in no way “brook any external interference”, as no one should underestimate China’s determination to safeguard its sovereignty.

“If you want to make China a hostile country, the UK will bear the consequences,” Liu warned.

Addressing the Huawei issue, as the UK has been weighing the prospect of backtracking on giving the telecoms giant access to the domestic market, Liu suggested it’s up to the UK if it opts to pay “higher price for lower quality.” He asserted at that that an agreement on Huawei “is a win-win example of UK-China collaboration.”

The comments came days after the national security law for Hong Kong was unanimously passed by the top Chinese legislative body, the standing committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), on Tuesday, later signed by President Xi Jinping. The law aimed at boosting security and safety, is seen by Hong Kong residents as a violation of their liberties.

Following the adoption of the HK Security Law, the United Kingdom moved to call out the move, with PM Johnson denouncing the legislation as one that breaches the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The ambassador tweeted in response that “UK has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of “supervision” over Hong Kong whatsoever”, and stressed that Hong Kong issues are China’s internal affair alone and no business of the outside world’s.

The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!