The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese foreign ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Sunday expressed strong dissatisfaction with and firm opposition to the U.S. Department of State's slandering and smearing of the law enforcement actions by the Hong Kong police.
The office demanded that the U.S. side immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs under the guise of human rights and the rule of law.
A spokesperson for the commissioner's office said that on Oct. 1, some people participated in unauthorized assemblies and possessed offensive weapons in Hong Kong, and were suspected of violating the law of the HKSAR. The Hong Kong police arrested those people according to law, which was reasonable, legal and necessary.
Laws in Hong Kong, including the HKSAR Basic Law, fully protect the rights and freedom of Hong Kong residents. However, the exercise of any individual's rights cannot harm the rights of others and the public interest, let alone override the law, said the spokesperson.
Hong Kong is a society with the rule of law. Everyone is equal before the law, everyone must abide by the law and no one should be above the law, said the spokesperson, adding that law enforcement by the Hong Kong police is to safeguard the rule of law, maintain social order and protect the lives and property of Hong Kong residents.
The spokesperson said that the United States itself often arrests people participating in illegal assemblies. According to media reports, police in California's Los Angeles, Arizona's Yavapai County, and Oregon's Portland arrested people involved in illegal assemblies in May, August and September this year.
The U.S. side turned a blind eye to these facts, ignored the illegal acts taking place in Hong Kong, slandered and smeared the Hong Kong police's law enforcement actions under the guise of safeguarding freedom of assembly and speech, put pressure on the HKSAR government, and denigrated that the Chinese government undermined the "one country, two systems," the spokesperson said, adding that this is utterly "double standard" and a typical case of a thief crying "stop thief."
The purpose of the U.S. side is to cover up and condone the illegal actions by the anti-China rioters in Hong Kong, in an attempt to destabilize Hong Kong and undermine the "one country, two systems," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson emphasized that Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong. The attempt of the U.S. side to obstruct the HKSAR government's law-based administration and damage China's sovereignty, security and Hong Kong's prosperity and stability will never succeed.
The Chinese government is firmly determined to implement the principle of "one country, two systems" and oppose interference by external forces, the spokesperson said, urging the U.S. side to immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs in any form and not to go further down the wrong path.
