HONG KONG, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Thursday firmly opposed and refuted the statement by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, which alleged that the national security legislation for Hong Kong would undermine Hong Kong's autonomy and freedoms and threatened with sanctions based on the Hong Kong policy act in a bid to obstruct the legislation.
The accusations are smears and distortion of "one country, two systems," the spokesperson of the commissioner's office said, noting that legislating on national security is within the power and the obligation of the central authorities, not within the limits of the autonomy of the HKSAR.
The legislation targets only a few acts and activities endangering national security. It will not affect the high degree of autonomy of Hong Kong, will not affect Hong Kong residents' rights and freedoms enshrined in the law, and will not affect foreign investors' legitimate rights and interests here, the spokesperson said.
Quite the contrary, it will only help to refine the legal system of Hong Kong and uphold social order in Hong Kong, and will facilitate the practice of "one country, two systems" and Hong Kong's prosperity and stability in the long run, the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson pointed out that it is utterly imperious, unreasonable and shameless for some in the United States to stigmatize and demonize China's just and legitimate measures to plug the loopholes in national security, and even threaten with sanctions based on their domestic law, while they go all out to reinforce their own national security legal system at all times.
"By openly interfering in Hong Kong affairs, which are purely China's internal affairs, and trampling international law and basic norms governing international relations, they have laid bare their double standards and gangster logic," the spokesperson said.
China's effort to establish and improve the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security in Hong Kong, its own territory, has gained broad support across Hong Kong society, and reflected the shared aspiration of the 1.4 billion Chinese people. No external forces shall ever expect to hamper it, the spokesperson emphasized.
The statement by the U.S. side claimed it has seen Hong Kong "for decades as a bastion of liberty," and suggested it hoped the Hong Kong "model" would change the social system of the Chinese mainland, the spokesperson noted.
"It is solid evidence for their ulterior motives to play Hong Kong as a card and use it as a frontier for secession, subversion, infiltration and sabotage activities against the mainland. It also proves exactly the great urgency for the National People's Congress to decide on enacting national security legislation for Hong Kong so as to close the loopholes in this regard," said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson emphasized that Hong Kong is part of China and its affairs are China's internal affairs. China is rock-firm in implementing "one country, two systems" and enacting national security legislation for Hong Kong.
"We urge the U.S. side to abide by international law and basic norms governing international relations, and immediately stop meddling with Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs as a whole. Otherwise, it would only meet with firm opposition and strong countermeasures from the 1.4 billion Chinese people, including our Hong Kong compatriots," said the spokesperson. Enditem
