HKSAR govt refutes UK's six-monthly report on HK

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government has strongly objected to attacks and groundless accusations on the city made in the UK Six-monthly Report on HK released on Monday (Nov. 23).

In a statement issued early Tuesday (Nov. 24) morning, a spokesman for the HKSAR government reiterated that Hong Kong is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and HK affairs are internal matters of the PRC.

The spokesman urged the UK government to uphold and respect international protocol and refrain from interfering with the internal affairs of another country.

On the report's criticism of the HKSAR government's decision to postpone the Legislative Council elections by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the spokesman said the UK government had adopted double standards as they had also postponed local elections in England due to take place on May. 7, 2020 for a year, by invoking the emergency legislation and citing the pandemic as the reason.

On the report's concern about the disqualification of LegCo candidates and incumbent members, the spokesman said swearing allegiance to the system of the country and upholding laws of the state is an international norm for public officers and any breach of the oath would not be tolerated.

We condemned overseas politicians for turning a blind eye to such violence which was seriously jeopardizing our nation's sovereignty, security and development interests, as well as the HKSAR's prosperity and stability.

"In the UK, Members of Parliament who refuse to take an oath of allegiance to the Crown cannot assume office," the spokesman said, adding the disqualification done in accordance with the law has nothing to do with the right to freedom of speech or the democratic process.

On the implementation of the National Security Law, the spokesman said the law was acted following the rise of calls for "HK independence" and "self-determination", as well as violent acts that undermined social order and endangered HK's stability.

The spokesman pointed out that in the past few months since the implementation of the National Security Law, violence has significantly subsided in Hong Kong.

"We condemned overseas politicians for turning a blind eye to such violence which was seriously jeopardizing our nation's sovereignty, security and development interests, as well as the HKSAR's prosperity and stability," the spokesman said.

In a separate statement issued on late Monday (Nov. 23), a spokesperson for the Commissioner's Office of the Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR also expressed firm opposition against the UK report, which it said meddled in Hong Kong affairs and smeared the central government's policy towards Hong Kong.

The spokesperson said that while Britain accused China of undermining "one country, two systems," it broke its promise by promoting British National Overseas (BNO) Passport visa policy, unilaterally suspended its agreement with the HKSAR for the surrender of fugitive offenders, wantonly undermined the normal economic cooperation and trade exchange between both sides, and interfered in the judicial and legal affairs of the HKSAR. "It has been clear that who is undermining 'one country, two systems'," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson reiterated that it has been 23 years since Hong Kong's return to its motherland. The provisions of the Sino-British Joint Declaration concerning the British side have all been fulfilled.

The spokesperson urged Britain to "wake up and stop the old colonial dream of interfering in HK's affairs".

(Source: China Daily)