China hit out Monday at comments by a British minister calling for greater democratic representation in Hong Kong, describing his remarks as "irresponsible".

Beijing said it had expressed "strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition" to comments made by Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire in a Hong Kong newspaper column over the weekend stating that universal suffrage was "vital" to the future stability of the city.

China's official Xinhua news agency carried quotes from foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei calling on London to stop interfering in Hong Kong's internal affairs.

"The British minister of state at the Foreign Office issued an article in a newspaper in which he openly made irresponsible remarks on Hong Kong's political system. The Chinese government expresses strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to it," he was quoted as saying.

Xinhua added that Beijing insists the development of the political system in the city -- which was run by the British until its return to China in 1997 -- is an internal affair for Hong Kong and a domestic affair for China, not foreign states.

"We do not allow any interference by external forces," the spokesman said, adding: "We urge the British side to immediately stop intervening in Hong Kong's internal affairs in any form."

China has promised that the city will see a transition to universal suffrage by 2017, though critics say little or no progress has been made on the issue as the deadline draws closer.

Debate over Hong Kong's electoral reforms has revolved around how candidates will be chosen to stand for the 2017 chief executive election, with concerns Beijing will restrict voters' choices.

Even if the elections are held as promised, the pro-reform lobby fears Beijing will try to weaken the influence of the feisty pro-democracy camp, which has dominated previous legislative elections.

Swire, a minister of state at the Foreign Office, said in an opinion piece published in the Saturday edition of the South China Morning Post that Britain was "ready to support in any way we can" those pressing for greater democratic representation in Hong Kong.

"There is no perfect model anywhere in the world, but the important thing is that the people of Hong Kong have a genuine choice to enable them to feel they have a real stake in the outcome," he said.

Beijing's rebuke comes a day after Hong Kong's leader, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, scoffed at Swire's remarks, calling them "irrelevant".

"Hong Kong does not need support from British government or any other foreign governments on the issue of political reform and universal suffrage for chief executive in 2017," he said on Sunday.

Earlier this year China also accused the United States of meddling with the financial hub's internal affairs when Washington's consul general in Hong Kong spoke in favour of universal suffrage.