China says UK has 'poisoned' relations, should stop meddling in Hong Kong
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The country's ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, told reporters that the actions of the UK, including questions over alleged rights abuses in China's Xinjiang region, had 'poisoned' the relationship between the two nations.
China blamed the United Kingdom on Thursday for deteriorating ties after Prime Minister Boris Johnson slapped a 5G ban on Huawei, accusing London of poisoning the relationship by meddling in Hong Kong's affairs.
The country's ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, told reporters that the actions of the UK, including questions over alleged rights abuses in China's Xinjiang region, had "poisoned" the relationship between the two nations.
Liu accused unnamed British politicians of "clinging" to the idea of a Cold War with China, characterising the Asian nation as a hostile threat and suggesting the British government was being coerced by the US.
He bluntly warned the UK that it was was "decoupling from the future" if it tried to distance itself from the Communist state.
Liu said the United Kingdom would "pay the price" if it wanted to treat China as a hostile state, but insisted this was only a consequence of not working with China instead of a pointed threat.
Previously, China warned Britain of "consequences" after it suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in protest at a controversial new security law in the territory.
A statement on the website of the Chinese Embassy in Britain criticized the suspension of the treaty and said "the UK side has gone even further down the wrong road".
China also strongly opposed United Kingdom's Huawei ban saying it was ''driven by commercial politicization of technological issues rather than national security.''