Chinese embassies slam US, allies for meddling in HK
Chinese embassies in the US, UK, and Australia strongly condemned the so-called joint statement on China’s national security law for Hong Kong by four countries, stressing that Hong Kong affairs are purely China’s internal affairs and the country does not tolerate foreign interference.
Chinese analysts believe the joint statement exposes the foreign masterminds behind Hong Kong riots which have undermined China’s “one country, two systems” and sabotaged China’s national security.
“We will take necessary countermeasures in response to foreign meddling in Hong Kong affairs,” said a statement published by the Chinese Embassy in the US.
The National People’s Congress’ (NPC) decision to enact the Hong
Kong SAR national security legislation targets a very narrow category of acts that seriously jeopardize China’s national security. It will have no impact on Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy, the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents or the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investors in Hong Kong. It will provide a fundamental guarantee for the effective implementation of “one country, two systems,” the embassy said.
The embassy’s remarks were in response to a joint statement by the US, UK, Australia and Canada criticizing China over the national security legislation for Hong Kong.
The joint statement claimed the national security law would “curtail the Hong Kong people’s liberties, dramatically erode Hong Kong’s autonomy and the system that made it so prosperous,” and believe it would undermine the “one country, two systems.” The joint statement also claimed the national security law would breach the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration.
Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at Friday’s media briefing that China has lodged solemn representations to certain nations. These nations have no qualification or legal basis to cite the Joint Declaration to make irresponsible remarks on Hong Kong.
The Chinese embassy in the UK said that the ultimate purpose and core content is to affirm China’s recovery of Hong Kong. There is not a single word in the joint declaration that gives the UK any responsibility over Hong Kong following its return.