Commissioner's office of Chinese foreign ministry urges Britain to stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs

HONG KONG -- The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said on Tuesday that it strongly disapproved of, firmly rejected and condemned the so-called "six-monthly report on Hong Kong: January to June 2021" issued by the British government.

The so-called report again smeared the rule of law and development in Hong Kong, slandered the successful practice of "one country, two systems," vilified the national security law in Hong Kong and Hong Kong's electoral system, and seriously trampled on the principles of international law and the basic norms governing international relations including "non-interference in others' internal affairs," said a spokesperson of the office.

"Under the national security law in Hong Kong and the improved electoral system, our national security has been safeguarded, Hong Kong society has returned to the right track, the rule of law and justice have been upheld, and the rights, freedoms and security of Hong Kong residents have been effectively safeguarded," the spokesperson said.

Facts have proved that the national security law in Hong Kong protects national security, Hong Kong's stability, and the peaceful life of Hong Kong residents, the spokesperson said, adding the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong" is a fundamental policy for maintaining Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and enduring stability.

The spokesperson pointed out that the legal basis for the Chinese government's governance of the HKSAR after Hong Kong's return to the motherland is the Chinese Constitution and the Basic Law of the HKSAR, not the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

The provisions relating to the British side in the Sino-British Joint Declaration were all fulfilled at the time of the return of Hong Kong and the completion of all follow-up work, the spokesperson said, adding that Britain has no sovereignty, jurisdiction nor "right of supervision" over Hong Kong after its return to China.

Britain has repeatedly made irrepressible remarks about Hong Kong affairs by citing the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which is purely a distortion of history and legal principles, the spokesperson said.

The political slogan of "standing with Hong Kong people" of the British side is to collude with anti-China, destabilizing forces in Hong Kong, and the intention of the British side putting together the so-called report before the upcoming seventh-term Legislative Council election in the HKSAR is to interfere in Hong Kong affairs and disrupt the election order of the HKSAR, the spokesperson said.

Noting that the tide of the times is surging forward, the spokesperson said the historical process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is irreversible, and Hong Kong's transformation from chaos to stability and prosperity is irresistible.

With the enforcement of the national security law in Hong Kong and improvement to Hong Kong's electoral system, and with the accelerated implementation of China's 14th Five-Year Plan and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area initiative, Hong Kong will embrace a more secure, democratic, free and harmonious future, the spokesperson said.

"We urge the British side to recognize the reality, follow the historical trend, and stop indulging in the old colonial dreams. Any external forces that attempt to use Hong Kong to curb China's development will find themselves on a collision course with the strong willpower of the Chinese nation to defend our national interests," the spokesperson said.