Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin Photo: fmprc.gov.cn

Certain countries, under the guise of the so-called Media Freedom Coalition, are slandering Hong Kong's freedom of the press and attacking the HKSAR government's lawful enforcement efforts, backing anti-China and Hong Kong disruptors like Jimmy Lai, toward which China strongly disapproved of and firmly opposed. 

The cases of Assange and Snowden have long since exposed that so-called freedom of the press is merely a tool for these countries to attack and smear other nations, and when it comes to their own interests, they absolutely do not care about press freedom,  Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday.

Some countries including the UK and the US recently issued a statement in the name of the Media Freedom Coalition, accusing the Chinese central government and the HKSAR government of using the National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong to suppress journalism, and urging China to adhere to its international human rights commitments and legal obligations. 

Their meddling in Hong Kong affairs under the pretext of freedom of the press is nothing but a display of their reluctance to accept Hong Kong's thriving development and an attempt to prolong their past privileges and influence in Hong Kong, which are in vain, the spokesperson said.

Hong Kong is a society governed by law, where laws are strictly followed and violations rigorously pursued. Since the implementation of the NSL for Hong Kong, Hong Kong society has transitioned from chaos to governance, and from well governed to prosperity. The rule of law and justice have been upheld, and the various legal rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents, including those of news and speech, are better safeguarded under a secure, stable, and legal environment. The number of international media outlets and journalists in Hong Kong has increased rather than decreased since the implementation of the NSL for Hong Kong, a fact undeniable to anyone without bias, he said.

In recent years, over a hundred countries have continuously voiced their support for China on various multilateral human rights platforms, including the UN Third Committee and the Human Rights Council, on issues related to Hong Kong. This fully demonstrates that justice is in the hearts of the majority, the spokesperson said. 

We urge the relevant countries to face the fact that Hong Kong has returned to China, abandon their colonial mindset, and realize that their attempts to meddle in Hong Kong affairs under the guise of freedom of the press are doomed to fail, Wang added. 

Global Times