US, Canada slammed over travel advisories

Warnings over city’s national security laws are aimed at tarnishing reputation, Beijing says

Beijing’s foreign ministry arm in the city has hit out at the US and Canada for “conducting political manipulation”, shortly after they refreshed travel warnings calling on their citizens to exercise extra caution in the city following the enactment of the domestic national security law.

The commissioner’s office of China’s foreign ministry in the city yesterday issued a strongly worded statement warning countries, including the pair, to immediately stop defaming and smearing Hong Kong’s laws. The office also demanded the withdrawal of what it called inaccurate travel advisories and erroneous assessments.

In an updated travel advisory on Friday, the United States told its nationals to exercise “increased caution” when visiting the city due to “arbitrary enforcement of local laws”, which included the national security law Beijing imposed in 2020 and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance enacted last month.

On Thursday, Canada called for the second time in a month for “a high degree of caution” for its citizens travelling to the city.

An office spokesman condemned the issuance of the advisories. “The travel advisories issued by certain countries disregard objective facts, maliciously undermine Hong Kong’s international reputation and seek to obstruct normal business and personnel exchanges,” he said.

“We strongly condemn and resolutely oppose such updated travel advisories, which have defamed Hong Kong’s national security legislations and the rule of law, and tarnished the human rights situation in the city.”

The office spokesman said both laws were in line with the principles of the rule of law and international practices, with clear definitions of offences, as well as full respect for and protection of human rights.

The laws offered ample protection for the normal activities of foreign institutions and their staff, while other people and institutions need not worry about inadvertently breaking them, he said.

The advisories … seek to obstruct normal business and personnel exchanges COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE SPOKESMAN