Chinese embassy voices opposition to British foreign secretary's remarks about Hong Kong

LONDON - The Chinese embassy in Britain on Monday expressed grave concern over and strong opposition to British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab's wrong remarks about Hong Kong.

"The UK side's remarks confuse right and wrong, and interfere in China's internal affairs and judicial sovereignty. The Chinese side expresses its grave concern and strong opposition," said a spokesperson for the embassy in a statement.

Over a recent decision to charge 47 people, the statement said the handling of this case by the Hong Kong judicial authorities is in line with the law and brooks no distortion or discredit.

"China upholds the rule of law. Hong Kong is a society under the rule of law where no one is above the law," it said, noting that the 47 people in the relevant case organized, plotted and took part in last year's so-called "35+ primary election" and "mutual destruction" plot aimed at paralyzing the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government and pushing the city into the abyss of chaos.

The relevant authorities in Hong Kong arrested and charged these people, in accordance with law, for suspicion of violation of the national security law for Hong Kong and subversion of state power, said the statement.

Noting that the law was enacted to plug the legal loophole for safeguarding national security and to provide effective safeguards for the democratic rights and extensive freedoms of Hong Kong citizens, the embassy said the implementation of this law marked a turning point in Hong Kong from chaos to law and order, and provided better legal safeguards for the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong citizens.

The allegation that the national security law for Hong Kong violates the Sino-British Joint Declaration is a non-issue, the statement said, adding that the Chinese government governs the Hong Kong SAR in accordance with the Constitution of China and the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR, not the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

The national security law for Hong Kong was made in accordance with the Constitution of China and its inclusion in the legal system of the Hong Kong SAR was authorized by the Basic Law, it added.

Hong Kong affairs, the statement emphasized, are purely China's internal affairs and brook no external interference in any form. It added that the Chinese government remains unwavering in its determination to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests, and to oppose any external interference.

"China urges the UK to respect the facts and the rule of law, discard its double standards and political manipulation, view the National Security Law for the Hong Kong SAR and the handling of the case by the relevant authorities in accordance with law from an objective and fair perspective, immediately stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs, stop interfering in China's internal affairs and judicial sovereignty, and stop going further down the wrong path," it said.

Hong Kong police on Sunday prosecuted 47 people, who were arrested in January, for "conspiring to subvert state power".