FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May is seen outside Downing Street in London, Britain July 3, 2019. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday China must respect the rights and freedoms of people in Hong Kong and that she had been in touch with China’s government to raise concerns about the situation in the former British colony.

“It is vital that Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and the rights and freedoms set down in the Sino-British Joint Declaration are respected,” May said in parliament.