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"We are supporting our family and we are seeking more information from the authorities in Guangdong Province and Hong Kong," says the British Foreign Office. Dale OF THE REY / AFP

The United Kingdom publicly expressed concern on Tuesday, August 20, 2019, after information reached about the possible arrest in Mainland China of an employee of his consulate in Hong Kong, his former colony.

London says it is " extremely concerned " by the possible arrest in China of one of its consular employees in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, a territory retroceded in Beijing in 1997 .

The British Foreign Ministry spokesman says a member of his team may have been " arrested while returning to Hong Kong from Shenzhen, " as stated in a statement.

" We are supporting our family and we are seeking more information from the authorities in Guangdong Province and Hong Kong, " the statement added by the British Foreign Office.

According to information released by local newspaper HK01 , the British national traveled to Shenzhen, Guangdong Province on August 8, for a business meeting. Since then, he has disappeared.

The incident comes as pro-democracy activists have been organizing rallies in Hong Kong for more than 10 weeks, which have often escalated into violent clashes between police and radical protesters.

(With AFP)