In commenting on a recent report that Hong Kong had refused to allow a "British activist" to enter the region, Chinese experts said that China is just in its legitimate actions for its own safety.



The entry denial took place in early October, involving Benedict Rogers, alleged to have been a "British activist." It became somewhat of a diplomatic confrontation when the UK Prime Minister Theresa May said the following day that "the Foreign Secretary informs me that the Foreign Office has raised this issue at various levels in relation to Hong Kong and China, and we will continue to do so," the Guardian reported on Wednesday.



The British Foreign Office had summoned China's ambassador to the UK after the Rogers's incident, according to the Guardian report.



Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, explained Lu Kang, spokesperson of China's Foreign Affairs Ministry, on Friday, and the central government is responsible for its foreign affairs.



Lu said that "Chinese sovereignty determines who can enter Chinese territory and who cannot. The Chinese have summoned a British embassy official in Beijing and lodged stern representations with the British about the irresponsible remarks that were made."



Rogers lived in Hong Kong from 1997 to 2002, and said he had been returning on a private visit to see friends, including a number of activists, according to the Guardian.



"It is a common practice for a country to bar the entry of people who are considered a threat o its sovereignty, safety and interests, and the act of simply barring a saboteur is the most lenient approach,"Tian Feilong, an assistant professor at Beijing's Beihang University, told the Global Times on Sunday.



It is also common for Western countries to stop people from entering their countries for safety and security, Li Yunlong, a professor of international strategic studies at the Central Communist Party School, told the Global Times.