China's national flags and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region flags are hung above a street in Hong Kong, 19, 2022, marking the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. (WU XIAOCHU / XINHUA)
HONG KONG – The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Friday strongly opposed a statement issued by the European Union on civil and political rights.
“We vehemently oppose the EU's various unfounded criticisms and misleading comments about the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law and the general situation of Hong Kong", a government spokesperson said in a statement.
FULL TEXT: HKSAR govt statement on UN committee findings
The promulgation of the National Security Law is in line with the international practice of safeguarding national security, the spokesperson said.
Hong Kong is not a “political show arena” or “human rights fair” for a small number of external forces.
Spokesperson, Commissioner’s Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR
“It is appalling to see that the EU has deliberately vilified it by applying double standards and making baseless allegations.”
Article 4 of the National Security Law specifically provides that human rights shall be respected and protected in safeguarding national security in the HKSAR, while Article 5 of the National Security Law affirms adherence to the principle of the rule of law while enforcing the law against offences endangering national security, according to the statement.
Constitutionally guaranteed under the Basic Law, judicial independence in Hong Kong after the implementation of the National Security Law remains as robust as ever, the spokesperson said.
“Since the city's return to the motherland, the HKSAR government has been firmly committed to safeguarding the freedoms of the press, of speech, of assembly and of association, all of which are protected under the Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance."
The government urged the EU again to stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs.
‘Rights situation above reproach’
The Commissioner’s Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR meanwhile strongly condemned the European External Action Service (EEAS) move hyping Hong Kong-related issues following recent remarks by the UN Human Rights Committee.
READ MORE: UN's concluding observations over HK, Macao SARs opposed
“The EEAS smeared the national security law for the HKSAR and Hong Kong’s new electoral system, vilified the central government’s policies towards Hong Kong, and attacked the human rights and rule of law situation in Hong Kong in its statement,” a commissioner’s office spokesperson said in a statement on Friday referring to the committee’s concluding remarks on a review of the HKSAR under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Taking slanders of anti-China forces as the factual basis and misleading reports as the judgment yardstick, a few so-called “independent” human rights experts ignored the fact of the continuous improvement of Hong Kong’s human rights situation, the spokesperson pointed out.
Its so-called “conclusions” are totally inconsistent with the real human rights situation in the city and can convince no one, added the spokesperson.
“The European Union, pointing a finger at Hong Kong affairs by citing the conclusions, has exposed its hypocrisy and sinister intention of ‘playing the Hong Kong card’”, reads the statement.
Some Western countries have a tarnished record of human rights and their “human rights” are just window-dressing, but they still wade into others’ human rights situation in the name of “universal human rights”, it added.
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“Hong Kong is not a “political show arena” or “human rights fair” for a small number of external forces,” the spokesperson said, urging the EU to stop vilifying Hong Kong’s rule of law and judicial independence, and interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs.