China accused Britain of "sheltering criminals" on Thursday after officials granted asylum to former Hong Kong lawmaker Nathan Law.

The opposition figure fled the former British colony last year after Beijing pushed through a new security law for Hong Kong that looked to crack down on basic freedoms.

The 27-year-old revealed on Wednesday that his asylum application had been approved after he was awarded refugee status by British authorities.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijan said the UK "provides so-called shelter for wanted criminals."

"This is a gross interference in Hong Kong’s judicial system and a violation of international law," he told reporters in Beijing.

China issued an arrest warrant for Law in October after he failed to appear in court over an illegal assembly charge.

It stemmed from a banned June 4 candlelight vigil marking the Tiananmen  Square crackdown.

What has Britain said about Hong Kong?

Ties between Britain and China have become frayed since either Hong Kong's legislature or Beijing itself imposed a series of new laws that the UK sees as a breach of the 1997 handover deal.

The 1984 Sino-British declaration was supposed to preserve the "one country, two systems" principle, guaranteeing freedom of expression and other basic rights in a Hong Kong that was to become part of China.

The UK has also offered the possibility of a quicker route to British citizenship to thousands of Hong Kong residents.

The government pledged 43 million pounds (€50 million, $59 million) to help them find jobs, houses and schools if they decide to settle in Britain amid the ongoing crackdown.

Britain has condemned sweeping electoral reforms approved by Beijing last month, which are expected to further reduce the small number of democratically elected lawmakers in Hong Kong.

Candidates for public office in Hong Kong will have their entire history vetted as Beijing seeks to ensure "patriots" run the city.

Beijing and London have also clashed in recent weeks over China's treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority and the role of tech giant Huawei.

jf/msh (AFP, dpa, Reuters)