Western politicians condemned for slanders over Apple Daily's ceased publication

BEIJING -- The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council on Friday strongly condemned certain politicians in the United States and other Western countries for their unwarranted comments on the recent closure of Apple Daily and relevant law enforcement in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

Under the disguise of so-called "freedoms of press and speech," these politicians attempted to slander the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong SAR and destablize Hong Kong to contain China, said a spokesperson with the office, noting that such attempts are doomed to fail.

Apple Daily and its relevant personnel were suspected of conspiracy to commit collusion with external forces to endanger national security, the spokesperson said.

Their arrests and prosecution, as well as the freezing of assets, were conducted in accordance with the law, the spokesperson said, stressing the law enforcement moves are necessary and legitimate to safeguard Hong Kong's rule of law, completely irrelevant to the protection of freedoms of speech and press.

Freedoms of speech and press cannot serve as an excuse for criminal acts, nor can media outlets become an entity beyond the reach of law, said the spokesperson.

Those Western politicians' accusation is completely confusing right with wrong and misleading public opinion, the spokesperson said.

Apple Daily has long been publishing fake news to deceive the public in Hong Kong, and acting as a platform for rioters to endanger national security, the spokesperson said, calling it an instigator of and a participant in illegal "Hong Kong independence" and violence acts.

Since the national security law in the HKSAR was implemented over a year ago, the rule of law and order have been restored and residents' lives returned to normal, the spokesperson added.

As a matter of fact, the number of overseas media outlets and employees in the HKSAR has increased since the law's enforcement, which disproves the slander that "national security law is suppressing freedoms of speech and press," the spokesperson said.