Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 
The Chinese Foreign Ministry, the Chinese embassy in the UK and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government have slammed UK’s recent so-called six-monthly report on Hong Kong, for distorting facts and interfering in China’s internal affairs based on well-worn rhetoric.

During Wednesday’s regular news conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that the so-called report repeated tired and disproven  rhetoric, distorted the facts and grossly interfered in Hong Kong's affairs and China's internal affairs, seriously violating the principles of international law and the basic norms of international relations. China is strongly dissatisfied with this and firmly opposes it. 

In its 53rd six-monthly report on Hong Kong, the UK government falsely claimed that China remains in a state of ongoing non-compliance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration and criticizing the National Security Law and the electoral system in the Hong Kong SAR.

Mao stressed that the essence of the Sino-British Joint Declaration is to ensure China resumes the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong. It does not give the UK any responsibility over the region following its return to China. The UK has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of “supervision” over Hong Kong after its return. Hong Kong affairs are purely internal affairs of China.

The legal basis for the Chinese government’s governance of Hong Kong is China’s Constitution and the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR, not the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The enactment and implementation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong and the improvement of Hong Kong's electoral system have given strong impetus to the realization of the transition from chaos to governance in Hong Kong, and to the entry into a new phase of governance and prosperity, Mao said. 

“We are telling the British side that no external intervention can shake China’s firm determination to fully and accurately implement the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ principle, and that any attempt to destabilize Hong Kong will never succeed,” she said.

The government of the HKSAR also on Tuesday slammed the “groundless attacks, slanders and smears” outlined within  the so-called six-monthly report.  

A spokesperson for the HKSAR government said, “The HKSAR government strongly disapproves of and firmly rejects the UK’s attempt through a so-called six-monthly report again to make misleading and irresponsible remarks about Hong Kong matters. The UK’s maneuver with politics prevailing over law-based administration is glaringly obvious.”

The spokesperson further noted that the improved electoral system of the HKSAR puts in place legal safeguards to ensure the full implementation of ‘patriots administering Hong Kong,’ while the implementation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong has enabled the livelihoods and economic activities of the Hong Kong community at large to resume as normal and the business environment to be restored, a fact to which the UK has turned a blind eye.

“Under the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ principle, Hong Kong has the distinctive advantage of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world,” the spokesperson reiterated. “With the unparalleled connectivity to the Chinese mainland and the rest of the world, Hong Kong has great potential and boundless prospects along the new journey of the new era.”

The Chinese Embassy in the UK also strongly deplored and opposed the report, with the spokesperson pointing out that the report is shear misrepresentation of facts and grossly interferes in Hong Kong affairs, which are China's internal affairs. It also seriously violates basic norms governing international relations.  

By repeatedly citing the Joint Declaration as an excuse to make irresponsible remarks on China’s policy on Hong Kong, the UK essentially tries to embolden anti-China forces destabilizing Hong Kong and continue to make trouble for the region, which will never succeed,  the embassy spokesperson said.

The embassy once again urged the UK side to respect the fact that Hong Kong has already returned to China and respect China’s sovereignty. The UK must let go of its colonial mentality, stop releasing bias reports, and stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs under any pretext,  the spokesperson added.