A Chinese national flag flutters outside the office for safeguarding national security in the HKSAR.  Photo: AFP

The joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US contained irresponsible remarks on Hong Kong affairs, ignored facts, showed ulterior motives and played on double standards, the Chinese embassy in Canada said, expressing strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the statement.

The joint statement ignored facts, had ulterior motives, played on double standards, interfered in China's internal affairs, was full of prejudice and seriously violated international law and basic norms governing international relations, the embassy said on Monday. 

China urges the relevant countries to immediately stop using Hong Kong-related issues to interfere in China's internal affairs and not go further down the wrong path, the embassy said.

Some people in Hong Kong have breached the bottom line of the law, and the decision to disqualify them from elections made by electoral officers was made in strict accordance with the Basic Law, the national security law for Hong Kong, and laws related to Hong Kong elections, the embassy said. 

The embassy made the remarks after Canada and its Five Eyes allies - Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US - said it was "gravely concerned" by the Hong Kong government's "unjust" disqualification of candidates and "disproportionate" postponement of the Legislative Council (LegCo) elections. 

Facing a severe COVID-19 epidemic situation, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has decided to postpone the seventh LegCo election, which was a justifiable move to protect the life and health of the Hong Kong people and a necessary move to ensure the safety and fairness of the election, the embassy said. 

Global Times