US hearing on Hong Kong amounts to ‘overt interference’

China expressed its strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to a hearing held by a United States congressional commission about Hong Kong, rebuking it as “overt interference” in China’s internal affairs.

The US Congressional-Executive Commission on China held a hearing on Wednesday on the subject, “Will the Hong Kong Model Survive?: An Assessment 20 Years After the Handover”. At the hearing, the implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” policy was criticized.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang dismissed the hearing on Thursday, saying that for 20 years since the return of Hong Kong, the principles of “One Country, Two Systems”, “Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong” and a high degree of autonomy have been implemented effectively.

“This is an objective fact acknowledged by anyone who is without bias,” Geng said in a news conference in Beijing.

The commission has always been “full of bias” on issues involving China, Geng said.

He said claims made at the hearing, such as that the principle of the “One Country, Two Systems” was undermined, were made out of “total ignorance of objective facts and ulterior motives”.

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, and Hong Kong affairs are purely China’s internal affairs, the spokesman said, adding that China is resolutely opposed to any foreign interference in Hong Kong affairs in any way.

Geng also said individuals in Hong Kong who are attempting to collude with foreign powers to meddle in Hong Kong’s affairs will not succeed.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the return of Hong Kong to China from Britain.