The Chinese Embassy in Britain on Thursday strongly opposed and condemned the unwarranted accusations by officials of the "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance in a Hong Kong-related joint statement.
Upon request for comment, an embassy spokesperson said the joint statement on Hong Kong made unwarranted accusations against the decision of China's National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee on the qualification of the Legislative Council (LegCo) members of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), recklessly discredited the Chinese government's policy on Hong Kong, and openly meddled in Hong Kong affairs and interfered in China's internal affairs.
The decision on the qualification of LegCo members was passed on Nov. 11 at the 23rd session of the Standing Committee of the 13th NPC, China's top legislature, while the foreign ministers of Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand and the U.S. secretary of state, in their statement, called on the Chinese government to reconsider the decision and reinstate the disqualified LegCo members.
The question of the qualification of the HKSAR LegCo members concerns the understanding and implementation of the relevant decision of the NPC Standing Committee, Article 104 of the Basic Law and its interpretation, and the HKSAR national security law, which are outside the terms of reference of the HKSAR government, said the spokesperson.
It is reasonable, legitimate and in line with the Constitution of China that the NPC Standing Committee, as the permanent body of China's highest organ of state power, should rule on this constitutional issue from the level of the Chinese central government, said the spokesperson, adding that this decision brooks no slandering or discrediting.
It is a basic political ethics in any country that holders of public office, legislators vested with legislative power in particular, shall uphold constitutional laws and pledge allegiance to the country. It is a universal practice to require an oath of allegiance, set out the qualifications for legislators and ensure their national identity and political loyalty in the form of legislation, said the spokesperson.
Nowhere in the world will legislators ever be allowed to collude with foreign forces in attempts of subversion and secession, and China is no exception, said the spokesperson.
The decision of the NPC Standing Committee is required inherently by the need to uphold and improve the institutional system of "one Country, two Systems" and implement the relevant laws and regulations, including the Basic Law and the HKSAR national security law. It is a legitimate action which will safeguard rule of law and constitutional order in Hong Kong, said the spokesperson.
It is completely wrong for a few countries, including Britain, to take the Sino-British Joint Declaration as an excuse time and again to accuse China of "not fulfilling its international obligations," said the spokesperson.
The core content of the Joint Declaration is China resuming the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong. Not a single word or article in the Joint Declaration gives Britain any responsibility over Hong Kong after the handover. Britain has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of "supervision" over Hong Kong after the handover. No foreign country has the right to use the Joint Declaration as an excuse to interfere in Hong Kong affairs, which are China's internal affairs, said the spokesperson.
China urges these few countries, including Britain, to abandon their Cold War mentality and double standard, stop colluding on anti-China agenda, and stop interfering with Hong Kong affairs, which are China's internal affairs, said the spokesperson.
China remains unwavering in its resolve to maintain sustained prosperity and stability in Hong Kong, and to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, said the spokesperson.
Any attempt to harm China's sovereignty, security or development interests is doomed to fail, the spokesperson added.
