Hong Kong File Photo: Xinhua

Chinese authorities on Friday expressed strong opposition to the UK's six-monthly report on Hong Kong and the US Hong Kong Policy Act Report in response to unfounded remarks on Hong Kong-related affairs.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian reiterated at a press conference on Friday that Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs that brook no interference by any foreign country. 

China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes unfounded remarks on the Chinese central government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, Zhao said. 

Zhao's remarks came as the British government on Thursday issued a Six-monthly report on Hong Kong: July to December 2021. It is the 50th in a series of reports to parliament on Hong Kong. On the same day, the US government also released the 2022 Hong Kong Policy Act Report. 

In a statement released on Friday, the spokesperson of the Commissioner's office of China's Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong strongly slammed the two reports as well as a UK politician's recent article that tries to interfere in Hong Kong affairs and defame the practice of "one country, two systems," vilify the national security law for Hong Kong and Hong Kong's electoral system, and seriously trample on the principles of international law. 

But no matter how they try, playing the cards of BNO, judges or sanctions, or bat out some groundless reports or acts, they are doomed to fail, the spokesperson said.   

The HKSAR government on Friday also said it strongly opposes the reports.

The spokesperson of HKSAR noted that Hong Kong is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a local administrative region that enjoys a high degree of autonomy under "one country, two systems" and comes directly under the Central People's Government (CPG), urging foreign countries to stop interfering in the internal affairs of China through Hong Kong affairs.

The spokesperson said the HKSAR government strongly opposes the misleading accusations against the 2021 Legislative Council general election, National Security Law, judicial independence and press freedom in the reports.

The 2021 Legislative Council general election is an important election held after the improvements to the electoral system of the HKSAR which fully implements the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong." The election was conducted in accordance with the law, and was open, fair, honest, and efficient, the spokesperson said. 

The spokesperson pointed out that the HKSAR Government reiterates that all law enforcement actions taken by Hong Kong law enforcement agencies under the National Security Law, or any local legislation, are based on evidence, strictly according to the law and for the acts of the persons or entities concerned, and have nothing to do with their political stance, background, or occupation.

Judicial independence in Hong Kong after the implementation of the National Security Law remains as robust as ever. The independence of the judiciary is constitutionally guaranteed under the Basic Law, the spokesperson said.

The HKSAR Government must also point out that the media landscape in Hong Kong is as vibrant as ever. A total of 211 media organizations, be they based locally, in the mainland or overseas, are registered with the HKSAR Government News and Media Information System of the Information Services Department at present, showing an increase after the implementation of the National Security Law, the spokesperson said.



Global Times