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 (HKSAR) in Central. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)
HONG KONG – Stop indulging in old colonial dreams.
The Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region firmly rejected and condemned on Tuesday the so-called “six-monthly report on Hong Kong: January to June 2021” issued by the British government.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the office said the so-called report smeared the rule of law and development in Hong Kong, slandered the successful practice of “one country, two systems”, and vilified the National Security Law for the HKSAR and Hong Kong’s electoral system.
The spokesperson said that the Chinese government is the founder and defender of the “one country, two system” policy, and “no one cherishes the policy and Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability more than we do”
The spokesperson said it also seriously trampled on the principles of international law and the basic norms governing international relations, including “non-interference in others’ internal affairs”.
“The intention of the British side putting together the so-called report before the Hong Kong Legco election is to interfere in Hong Kong affairs and disrupt the election order of the HKSAR,” the statement reads.
The spokesperson said that with the enforcement of the national security law and laws on improving Hong Kong’s electoral system, and with the accelerated implementation of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan and the Greater Bay Area initiative, the HKSAR will embrace a more secure, democratic, free and harmonious future.
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“We urge the British side to recognize the reality, follow the historical trend, and stop indulging in the old colonial dreams,” the statement reads.
“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,” it added.
The spokesperson said that the Chinese government is the founder and defender of the “one country, two system” policy, and “no one cherishes the policy and Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability more than we do.”
“Under the national security law 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 people have been effectively safeguarded,” the spokesperson said.
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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 British side has no sovereignty, governance or supervision over Hong Kong after the return of the city.
The political slogan of “standing with Hong Kong people” of the British side is to collude with anti-China, destabilizing forces in Hong Kong, the spokesperson said.