Australia hit for giving visa to Hong Kong folk

BEIJING: China’s Foreign Ministry has urged Australia to abandon its interference in China’s Hong Kong Special Administration Region affairs, after the Australian government granted protection visas to Hong Kong passport holders in December, which came following years of rejected applications.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Monday said China’s position on Hong Kong-related issues is consistent and clear.

“Hong Kong affairs fall entirely within China’s internal affairs. No foreign country has the right to interfere,”Wang said. “China urges Australia to stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs in any way, to avoid further damage to China-Australia relations.”

A report from Australia’s Department of

Home Affairs on the processing of Subclass 866 onshore protection visas indicated that fewer than five Hong Kong passport holders had their applications approved in December.

The allocation marked the first time that such visas were granted to passport holders from the region since at least 2010, Australian media outlet SBS reported on Monday.

China has deplored and opposed the groundless accusations many times made by the Australian government on Hong Kong issues, calling them a violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations and gross interference in China’s internal affairs.

Colluding with other members of the Five Eyes alliance, Australia has shown hostile policies toward China regarding Hong Kong and Xinjiang regions.