HONG KONG - The United Kingdom should ensure the normal operation of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (ETO) in London, an official for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said Thursday.

Algernon Yau Ying-wah, secretary for commerce and economic development for the HKSAR government, made the remarks while meeting with the deputy consul-general of the UK in Hong Kong on an incident regarding the ETO in London.

All ETO activities have been conducted in accordance with law and the UK government is obliged to ensure the normal work and activities of the ETO are free from interruption and conducted in an orderly manner, a spokesperson for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said

Yau reiterated the HKSAR government's concern about the incident, especially the death of a person who was arrested by the UK Police and reportedly a UK immigration officer, and demanded the UK side to give an open account of the incident as soon as possible to let the public know the truth and prevent unwarranted speculation.

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He stressed that the duties of ETOs are to maintain close liaison with interlocutors in the local government, business, think tanks and various sectors, with a view to enriching bilateral ties in different areas such as trade, investment, arts and culture, enhancing local people and enterprises' knowledge of Hong Kong's unique strengths, and promoting the economic and trade interests of Hong Kong.

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All ETO activities have been conducted in accordance with law and the UK government is obliged to ensure the normal work and activities of the ETO are free from interruption and conducted in an orderly manner, a spokesperson for the HKSAR government's Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said.