China confirmed on Monday that a delegation from the British parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee had been refused entry to the special administrative region, now within China but formerly a British colony.

The news comes as pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong again clashed with police. The protesters are calling for more open elections to choose their leaders in 2017

China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Beijing was responsible for Hong Kong's foreign affairs. Consequently it had every right to decide who it let into the territory:

"I have noticed that someone on the British parliament's foreign affairs select committee said that China's banning of them entering Hong Kong was overtly confrontational," she told a daily news briefing in Beijing on Monday.

The committee had wanted to look into Britain's relations with its former colony, 30 years after the 1984 Joint Declaration, which set out the terms of Hong Kong's 1997 return to Chinese rule.

The committee had said on Sunday that the Chinese Embassy had advised it that if the delegation attempted to travel to Hong Kong, it would be refused entry.

'Overt confrontation'

Committee Chairman Richard Ottaway said in a statement: "We are a committee of elected Members of Parliament from a democratic nation who wish to scrutinise British diplomatic work in Hong Kong. The Chinese Government are acting in an overtly confrontational manner in refusing us access to do our job."

Hua replied on Monday, saying: "If certain British MPs are bent on doing this, that's what is meant by overt confrontation and this is not beneficial for Sino-British ties."

"China said many times to Britain it resolutely opposed the so-called delegation of the British parliament's foreign affairs committee going to Hong Kong for a so-called investigation and asked they cancel the visit," Hua added.

Royal visit due next March

Last week, Buckingham Palace announced that second-in-line to the British throne Prince William would visit China next March on behalf of the British government.

The prince is to open the GREAT Festival of Creativity in Shanghai, an event showcasing 500 British businesses.

"The Duke will also undertake engagements in Beijing and elsewhere to promote UK-China relations, people-to-people links, and in support of his work to combat the illegal wildlife trade and support wildlife conservation," the palace said in a statement.

The Queen and her husband Prince Philip made a visit to China in 1986.

jm/ipj (Reuters, AP)