Beijing slams UK parliament report on Hong Kong

Local arm of foreign ministry accuses Britain of ‘repeating tricks’ to smear city’s political system

Beijing has hit out at Britain for “repeating old tricks” with its criticisms of Hong Kong’s national security laws in a recent parliamentary report, stressing the city will prosper despite such efforts.

The commissioner’s office of the foreign ministry in Hong Kong condemned the report on the city from the UK government, accusing it of smearing the “one country, two systems” governing principle and the national security legal framework.

“Regarding the British government issuing another so-called ‘six-monthly report on Hong Kong’, they are repeating old tricks to make a fuss about the Sino-British Joint Declaration’, a spokesman for the office wrote in a statement.

“White noise that smears and disparages Hong Kong cannot shake the steadfast steps of one country, two systems going far and stable into the future. The new vehicle of Hong Kong in this new era must speed ahead, and no obstruction will be tolerated!”

The local government earlier slammed the report after British authorities argued the national security law had resulted in most local political opposition being “eliminated”.

The British parliamentary report said dissent in the city had been “criminalised” and civil society had become “marginalised”.

“Hong Kong authorities’ efforts to stamp out ‘soft resistance’ has targeted even the most minor deviations from unwavering support for the governments of Hong Kong and China,” British

Foreign Secretary David Cameron wrote in the report.

The Beijing-decreed national security law came into force in June 2020 after months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong. It prohibits acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, which carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

The report was issued as Hong Kong held its National Security Education Day, with Beijing officials giving speeches about the financial hub’s prospects and direction under the national security laws.

The spokesman for the commissioner’s office said the day was an occasion marking Hong Kong’s return to order and governance with the completion of its national security legal framework, stressing the situation would not change despite London’s “smears”.

“The newly enacted national security law has further consolidated the city’s strong barriers to defend national security, allowing Hong Kong residents to enjoy all sorts of rights and freedoms under the law with better protection, providing a safer, more stable and efficient business environment for foreign investors,” he said.

The message echoed a video address from Xia Baolong, director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, during the National Security Education Day opening ceremony on Monday.

Beijing’s top man overseeing Hong Kong affairs said the city had a “future destined to be bright” as it had the “best business environment in the world” and its prosperity would not be harmed by criticism.