China will firmly safeguard legitimate, lawful right of HKSAR to attend APEC meetings: spokesperson

BEIJING -- China will firmly safeguard the legitimate and lawful right of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to attend APEC meetings, according to a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Friday.

Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a regular news briefing in response to reports that the United States will not invite HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting to be held in the United States towards the end of this year due to relevant sanctions, according to unnamed US officials.

It is widely understood that APEC host economies have the responsibility and obligation to ensure the smooth participation of the representatives of all members in APEC meetings. Imposing illegal and unreasonable sanctions on Chief Executive John Lee and other Chinese officials is in itself a bullying act which seriously violates the basic international norms, Mao said.

She said that to not invite HKSAR Chief Executive to the APEC meeting by citing those sanctions as the reason is yet another mistake, which blatantly violates APEC rules and gravely contravenes the US commitment as the host. "China strongly disapproves of and firmly opposes this and has made serious demarches to the United States," said Mao.

China asked the United States to correct the wrong move immediately, lift the sanctions on Chief Executive John Lee and other HKSAR officials, fulfill its due responsibility as the APEC host, invite Chief Executive John Lee to the meeting according to customary practice, make sure that representatives of all APEC members, including those of China's Hong Kong, will participate smoothly in the APEC events, and stop undermining the solidarity and cooperation of APEC, she said.