Many nations support new security law

Several emphasize that Hong Kong’s affairs are solely matters for China

More than 70 countries have voiced their support for China’s National Security Law for Hong Kong at the ongoing 44th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council being held in Geneva.

The National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, voted on Tuesday to unanimously pass the law.

Following support for the legislation stated on Tuesday by a representative of Cuba on behalf of 53 countries, another 20 countries have spoken at the UNHRC session to express their support for the law.

“Russia firmly supports China’s implementation of ‘one country, two systems’ in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Hong Kong’s affairs are purely China’s internal affairs,” said a Russian representative.

A Laos representative said the country welcomes China’s efforts to safeguard national security by establishing and improving national security legislation for Hong Kong as well as its implementation mechanism.

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian expressed China’s appreciation for support of the law from over 70 countries.

“A small group of Western countries won’t succeed in discrediting China by using it (the national security law) as an excuse,” Zhao said at a daily news briefing on Friday.

At the UNHRC session, representatives from Myanmar and Cambodia also said that passing national security legislation is within a nation’s sovereign authority. They believe the new law is beneficial in ensuring national security and maintaining “one country, two systems”. They expect that Hong Kong will continue to maintain peace, stability, harmony and prosperity and be free from foreign interference.

“The national security legislation for Hong Kong is part of China’s national security affairs and is an internal affair. The law will not jeopardize ‘one country, two systems’ and will not affect the legal rights, freedoms and interests of Hong Kong people,” said a representative from Afghanistan.

“Burundi appreciates China’s efforts in promoting and protecting human rights and its contribution to the human rights cause in the world,” said a representative from the African nation.

The representative voiced Burundi’s firm support for “one country, two systems” and praised the passage of the new law, saying it will effectively guarantee human rights for Hong Kong people.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Venezuela and Cameroon also opposed certain countries interfering in China’s internal affairs and using Hong Kong and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region affairs as an excuse to do so.

Representatives from Serbia, Armenia and Chad voiced support for the one-China policy, “one country, two systems” and China’s right to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Hong Kong’s affairs are purely China’s internal affairs, said representatives from Nepal and Kyrgyzstan.