Authorities, leaders slam EU's HK sanctions

The European Parliament has been urged to face the reality of China's authority in legal affairs concerning the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The EP's passing of a resolution criticizing Hong Kong's human rights situation was seen as new interference in China's internal affairs in the name of human rights.

During a news conference in Beijing on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying urged the legislative body to stop acting as "human rights teachers" to other countries, and respect the sovereignty and rule of law of China.

Hua stressed that Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs and have nothing to do with democratic or human rights issues. No foreign governmental organization or individual has the right to interfere.

In a news release, a spokesperson for the Mission of the People's Republic of China to the European Union said EP members have blatantly interfered in China's affairs by passing the unfounded resolution.

It's perfectly justified for related government departments to crack down on illegal activities in their own countries in accordance with the law, in a bid to safeguard national sovereignty and safety, said the spokesperson. The handling of judicial cases in Hong Kong purely belongs to China's internal affairs, and no interference by foreign forces will be tolerated.

The spokesperson urged the EP to face up to the fact that Hong Kong returned to the motherland in 1997 and to stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs.

In a statement on Friday, the Hong Kong SAR government said the "biased" resolution is "politically motivated and does not reflect the truth".

Stressing that law enforcement agencies are duty-bound to safeguard the city's order and national security, the government said it is "appalled" by the parliament members' call to release arrested suspects, which suggests that people with certain political beliefs should be immune to legal sanctions.

In response to the so-called sanctions, the government said Hong Kong officials' determination to safeguard national security will not be affected in any way.

Connie Wong Wai-Ching, vice-chairwoman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, said the proposed sanctions and other moves meant to obstruct China's development have exposed the selfishness of Western countries. They have squandered international organizations' continuous efforts to promote bilateral interests, Wong said.

Lau Siu-kai, vice-president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, believes EP members do not represent the majority of European countries, thus the sanctions they called for will not cause a major impact on China-EU cooperation.

The resolution called for the release of Hong Kong activists arrested under the National Security Law and other "politically motivated charges". It also imposed sanctions against nine Hong Kong and mainland officials, including the SAR's Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.