People walk past national flags and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region flags hanging over a street in Tsim Sha Tsui East, Hong Kong, June 29, 2021. The flags were put up in celebration of the 24th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)
BEIJING – China on Sunday harshly criticized a United States memorandum that defers for 18 months the removal of certain Hong Kong residents now residing in the country, urging Washington to stop condoning anti-China forces in Hong Kong and meddling in Hong Kong affairs.
China deplores and opposes the so-called memorandum, which defames and attacks the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and China's Hong Kong policy, and has lodged stern representations with the US, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said
The memorandum, which was signed by US President Joe Biden on Thursday, states that "offering safe haven for Hong Kong residents who have been deprived of their guaranteed freedoms in Hong Kong furthers US interests in the region".
China deplores and opposes the so-called memorandum, which defames and attacks the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and China's Hong Kong policy, and has lodged stern representations with the US, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.
This is another example of vile US behavior in interfering in China's Hong Kong affairs, Hua said.
Rule of law improved
The enactment and implementation of the national security law for Hong Kong has improved the rule of law in Hong Kong, restored security and stability in the city and ensured the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Hong Kong residents, she said.
The US claim of offering "safe haven" for Hong Kong residents is groundless, the real purpose being to endorse anti-China, destabilizing forces in Hong Kong, undermine Hong Kong's prosperity and stability and curb China's development, Hua said.
China urges the US to respect China's sovereignty, abide by international law and basic norms governing international relations, stop disrupting Hong Kong's rule of law and interfering in China's internal affairs, she said, adding that otherwise it will seriously damage its interests in Hong Kong.
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On Sunday, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council also strongly opposed and condemned the US intervention in Hong Kong affairs, which are China's domestic affairs.
The US government wanted to recreate turbulence in Hong Kong and hoped the anti-China forces seeking to disrupt Hong Kong would continue working for it, said a spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council
When the US government said that it wanted to stand with people in Hong Kong, it obviously wanted to stand with those few anti-China forces seeking to disrupt Hong Kong, a spokesperson for the office said.
The US government wanted to recreate turbulence in Hong Kong and hoped the anti-China forces seeking to disrupt Hong Kong would continue working for it, according to the spokesperson.
Sponsoring Hong Kong-related organizations, and adopting Hong Kong-related bills and administrative measures, the US government wanted to disrupt Hong Kong and contain China, instead of defending democracy, human rights and freedom or safeguarding the principle of "one country, two systems" as it claimed, the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also added that the continuous defamation from the United States and other few countries only showed that the law effectively struck anti-China forces seeking to disrupt Hong Kong and curbed foreign intervention.
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"External intervention will not weaken the determination and will of the central government and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to fully enforce the national security law nor will it stop the development of Hong Kong and China," the spokesperson said.
zhoujin@chinadaily.com.cn
With Xinhua inputs