Beijing warns of ’firm countermeasures’ to US visa restrictions on HKSAR officials

CCTV: The US Department of State released the Hong Kong Policy Act Report last week. The US Secretary of State issued a press statement and announced visa restrictions on multiple Hong Kong officials. What’s China’s comment?   Wang Wenbin: In the so-called report issued again this year, the US attacked and smeared the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Hong Kong’s electoral system and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. The US discredited Hong Kong’s democracy, rule of law, human rights and exercise of freedoms and announced that it is taking steps to impose new visa restrictions on Hong Kong officials which is simply unjustified. None of the accusations are based on truth. The report and the statement constitute serious interference in Hong Hong affairs and China’s domestic affairs, and a grave violation of the principles of international law and the basic norms governing international relations. China deplores and opposes this, and has made strong démarches to the US. Since the return of Hong Kong, the central government has fully, faithfully and firmly implemented the principles of One Country, Two Systems, Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong and a high degree of autonomy. The constitutional order in Hong Kong based on China’s Constitution and the Basic Law of the HKSAR has been stable and functioned well. The central government has exercised overall jurisdiction over Hong Kong. The high degree of autonomy has been practiced as it should. The Law on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR and Safeguarding National Security Ordinance have been adopted and entered into force. The electoral system has been revised and improved. Hong Kong is now equipped with strong safeguards for national security, which has helped ensure that Hong Kong is administered by patriots, provide solid underpinning for Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability and protect Hong Kong residents’ various rights and freedoms that they are lawfully entitled to. Hong Kong has restored order and is set to thrive. We have every confidence in the steady and sustained implementation of One Country, Two Systems. I want to stress that Hong Kong is China’s Hong Kong and Hong Kong’s affairs are purely China’s internal affairs. The Chinese government has unwavering resolve in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and development interests, in implementing One Country, Two Systems and in opposing any external interference in Hong Kong’s affairs. We urge the US to abide by the principles of international law and the basic norms governing international relations and accurately understand One Country, Two Systems in its entirety. The US needs to respect China’s sovereignty and the rule of law in the HKSAR, and stop interfering in Hong Kong’s affairs by any means. If the US does impose visa restrictions on Hong Kong officials, China will take firm countermeasures. __________________ ShanghaiEye focuses on producing top-quality contents. Nobody knows SHANGHAI better than us. Please subscribe to us ☻☻☻ __________________ For more stories, please click ■ What’s up today in Shanghai, the most updated news of the city ■ Amazing Shanghai, exploring the unknown corners of the city, learning the people, food and stories behind them ■ What Chinese people’s lives are like during the post COVID-19 period ■ Views of foreign scholars on China and its affairs ■ Foreign faces in Shanghai, people living in this city sharing their true feelings ■ Mini-docs showing why China is the country it is today __________________ ☎Leave us messages if you have any suggestions or questions! Thank you!