Mao Ning

Refuting the remarks made by certain countries regarding the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), which misrepresent the actions taken by the HKSAR police against Kwok Fung-yee and 12 other anti-China disruptors, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Wednesday said "we strongly deplore and firmly oppose individual countries blatantly attacking and vilifying the legitimate law enforcement activities of the Hong Kong police."

The persons mentioned above have absconded overseas and long engaged in destabilizing activities seeking to disrupt and undermine Hong Kong's development and social stability. What they did gravely undermines national security and Hong Kong's fundamental interests and has a serious impact on "one country, two systems," which is a bottom line that must not be crossed, Mao said. 

The Hong Kong police took law enforcement actions in accordance with the Law on Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. These are just acts that uphold the rule of law and meet people's aspirations. They are necessary acts to defend China's sovereignty and security and legitimate acts to uphold long-term stability in Hong Kong. They are also in line with international law and customary practice, Mao told a routine press conference.

"Let me reiterate that Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs and there is no place for foreign interference. Relevant countries need to respect China's sovereignty and Hong Kong's rule of law and stop emboldening anti-China rioters. Spreading pessimistic or slanderous rhetoric against Hong Kong will end up nowhere and any attempt to interfere in Hong Kong's affairs under the pretext of human rights and freedom is doomed to fail," Mao said.

The Commissioner's Office of China's Foreign Ministry in HKSAR expressed strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition against the fallacious statements made by some officials and politicians from countries such as the US, the UK, Canada and the EU over HKSAR police force taking measures against 13 anti-China disruptors on Wednesday.

"They openly slander the rule of law in the HKSAR, the practice of 'one country, two systems,' and interfere with the judiciary of the HKSAR," a spokesperson for the office said.

The spokesperson emphasized that the core principle of the rule of law is that laws must be obeyed and violators must be punished. Strict law enforcement and the eradication of evil are standard practices for countries to safeguard national security, said the spokesperson.

Global Times