The BBC World Service’s 24-hour broadcast has officially been stopped and replaced with China’s state radio in Hong Kong .

Plans to halt the corporation's near 40-year run of continuous broadcasting in the territory were announced last month. It will be replaced with Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK).

The choice to transmit Chinese-state programming from China National Radio Hong Kong Edition, was said to “enhance the cultural exchange between the mainland and Hong Kong”.

Broadcasts will mostly be in Mandarin, rather than the territory’s Cantonese dialect.

China National Radio caries no sensitive or critical reporting on China and critics have called the move a sign of encroaching Chinese control in the former British colony, where tensions between the island and Beijing’s ruling Communist Party leaders have been growing over recent years.

Nearly 1,000 people signed an online petition entitled, “RTHK: Give us back our BBC World Service!” which claimed removing it from the airwaves “makes the city feel more parochial and inward-looking”.

RTHK is still set to air eight hours of BBC World Service programming, but only overnight between 11pm and 7am and occasionally on weekends.

A spokesperson for the station said there were no political considerations in the decision.

But staff at RTHK have claimed the switchover had been forced through without a broader consultation.

Hong Kong activists preserve the past Show all 22 1 /22 Hong Kong activists preserve the past Hong Kong activists preserve the past HK URBEX members, inspect the interior of an abandoned British army barracks in Hong Kong Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past HK URBEX members are seen through a hole in the fence at an abandoned British army barracks in Hong Kong, China, June 1, 2017 Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past An abandoned British army barracks is seen through thick fog in Hong Kong, China, June 1, 2017 Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past A HK URBEX member, stands at an abandoned British army barracks in Hong Kong, China, June 1, 2017 Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past A HK URBEX member looks through a window at an abandoned British army barracks in Hong Kong, China, June 1, 2017 Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past A HK URBEX member walks through an abandoned British army barracks in Hong Kong, China, June 1, 2017 Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past A HK URBEX member looks around an abandoned residential building in Hong Kong, China, June 7, 2017 Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past HK URBEX members walk towards an abandoned British army barracks in Hong Kong, China, June 1, 2017 Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past A HK URBEX member climbs a ladder at an abandoned British army barracks in Hong Kong, China, June 1, 2017 Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past A HK URBEX member inspects the interior of an abandoned British army barracks in Hong Kong, China, June 1, 2017 Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past A HK URBEX member, looks at a newspaper from 1982, inside an abandoned residential building in Hong Kong, China, June 7, 2017 Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past A tag is seen inside an abandoned British army barracks in Hong Kong, China, June 1, 2017 Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past An external view of an abandoned mansion called Yu Yuen, built the 1920's colonial era, is seen in Hong Kong, China, June 7, 2017 Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past HK URBEX members look around an abandoned residential building in Hong Kong, China, June 7, 2017 Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past A soft toy is seen inside an abandoned residential building in Hong Kong, China, June 7, 2017 Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past An interior view of an abandoned mansion called Yu Yuen, built during the colonial era of the 1920's, in Hong Kong, China, June 7, 2017 Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past An interior view of an abandoned mansion called Yu Yuen, built during the colonial era in the 1920's, is seen in Hong Kong, China, June 7, 2017 Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past People walk past the abandoned historic Central Market, which was built in the 1930's during the colonial era, in Hong Kong, China, June 10, 2017 Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past HK URBEX members inspect an abandoned residential building in Hong Kong, China, June 7, 2017 Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past An external view of the now closed Wing Woo Grocery Shop on Wellington Street, which was built during the colonial era in the 1870's, in Hong Kong, China, June 10, 2017 Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past Colonial era buildings (front to back), St John's Cathedral, former Central Government Offices and Government House are seen in Hong Kong, China, June 3, 2017 Reuters Hong Kong activists preserve the past A man stands outside the abandoned historic Central Market, which was built in the 1930's during the colonial era in Hong Kong, China, June 10, 2017 Reuters

Speaking on condition of anonymity, one senior editorial staff member said that “nobody knew anything about” the decision.

“We were told in a meeting just before it was announced," they said. “People see it as a negative thing. The BBC is generally regarded as independent, and (Chinese) state media is not."

The Hong Kong government also revealed plans to stop digital audio broadcasting (DAB) after RTHK failed to attract large enough audiences on the format.