Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang. Photo: IC

China on Tuesday urged the United States to earnestly respect China's sovereignty and stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs and interfering in China's internal affairs.

"Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs. No foreign government, organization or individual has the right to interfere," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a press briefing, in response to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's remarks Monday that "the United States is gravely concerned about deepening political unrest and violence in Hong Kong."

The recent comments on Hong Kong by the US side exposed its ulterior motive of attempting to meddle in Hong Kong affairs as well as its double standards on violent crimes, Geng said, adding that confusing Hong Kong police's law enforcement acts to end violence and chaos with radical forces' violent crime profanes the rule of law and human rights.

In response to Pompeo's remarks on the Sino-British Joint Declaration, he said that the rights and obligations concerning the British side have already been fulfilled since Hong Kong's return to China in 1997. The United States has no legal ground, nor is it in a position to invoke the joint declaration to meddle in Hong Kong affairs.

Ending violence and restoring order is Hong Kong's top priority. The central government of China will continue to firmly support the chief executive in leading the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government to govern in accordance with the law, firmly support the Hong Kong police in strictly enforcing the law, and firmly support the Hong Kong judicial bodies in severely punishing the violent criminals in accordance with the law, he said.

Geng stressed once again that the Chinese government has unswerving determination to protect national sovereignty, security and development interests, implement the "one country, two systems" policy and oppose any external force in interfering in Hong Kong affairs.

"We urge the United States to earnestly respect China's sovereignty, stop making irresponsible remarks, stop condoning violent crimes in a disguised manner, stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs, and stop interfering in China's internal affairs," he said.