This Nov 17, 2016 photo shows the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Central, Hong Kong. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)
HONG KONG – The Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Thursday strongly disapproved and firmly rejected the US human rights report.
The US Department of State's 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices once again waded into China's internal affairs including Hong Kong affairs, a spokesperson for the office said in a statement.
The freedom index and the rule of law ranking of the United States have lagged behind Hong Kong, and America is faced with human rights tragedies such as botched COVID-19 responses, systemic racism, and raging gun violence at home, a spokesperson said
The report defamed the national security law in Hong Kong and the new electoral system, and slandered the law-based administration of the HKSAR government, the statement said.
The spokesperson pointed out that Hong Kong residents' lawful rights and freedoms of speech, press and association have been protected.
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The implementation of the national security law and the successful practice of the new electoral system have plugged the loopholes in Hong Kong for safeguarding national security, removed the obstacles to the development of democracy in Hong Kong, and defended the rule of law and public order in Hong Kong, according to the spokesperson.
"The law and the electoral system have won the support of all the Chinese people, including Hong Kong compatriots," said the spokesperson. "The HKSAR government is uniting people from all walks of life to focus on fighting the COVID-19 epidemic, revitalizing the economy, and improving people's livelihood."
The spokesperson stressed that the United States has a bad record in terms of respecting and protecting human rights both at home and abroad, but it is still obsessed with confusing right and wrong and spreading political lies as well as ideological prejudices under the guise of "human rights."
The freedom index and the rule of law ranking of the United States have lagged behind Hong Kong, and America is faced with human rights tragedies such as botched COVID-19 responses, systemic racism, and raging gun violence at home, said the spokesperson.
"For the United States, championing 'human rights' is just lip service. The world has seen more clearly the hypocrisy and hegemony of the country," the spokesperson said. "It has no right to lecture Hong Kong, as a part of China, on the issue of human rights."
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The spokesperson reiterated that Hong Kong is part of China and Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs, adding that China is fully determined to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, and to oppose external interference in Hong Kong affairs.
"We urge the US to reflect on itself, abide by international law and the basic norms governing international relations, and immediately stop the political farce that disturbs Hong Kong in the name of 'human rights,'" the spokesperson added.