Question: On August 21, a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the FCDO made irresponsible remarks concerning the Hong Kong High Court’s conviction of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China for “inciting subversion of state power”, and referred to the Sino-British Joint Declaration. What is your comment?

Embassy Spokesperson: The remarks by the UK official disregard the facts, distort right and wrong, and grossly interfere in Hong Kong’s judicial affairs and China’s internal affairs. We firmly oppose and strongly condemn such remarks, and have made solemn representations to the UK side.

The defendants from the Alliance have long employed various means to stoke public sentiments of hostility, hatred and disaffection towards the state and to incite the public to overthrow the leadership of the Communist Party of China and undermine the country’s fundamental system. Their crimes are substantiated by conclusive evidence. Their actions seriously violated the Hong Kong National Security Law and posed a real threat to national security and social stability. They must be held accountable and severely punished in accordance with the law.

The Hong Kong SAR has acted in accordance with the law to crack down on acts that endanger national security, upholding the authority of the Hong Kong National Security Law, demonstrating the spirit of the rule of law, and reflecting the shared aspirations of Hong Kong society. It is a just action taken in accordance with the law to safeguard national security.

Under the guise of “freedom of expression”, the aforementioned UK official openly sought to speak in defence of Chow Hang-tung and the other defendants. This constitutes gross interference in Hong Kong’s judicial affairs and China’s internal affairs and a blatant trampling on the rule of law. It further exposes the UK’s double standards and hypocrisy. Such a sinister scheme is doomed to fail.

We want to make it clear to the UK side that Hong Kong has long since returned to China, and that Hong Kong affairs are purely China’s internal affairs. The constitutional and legal basis for the Chinese government’s governance of Hong Kong is China’s Constitution and the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR, not the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The UK is in no position and has no right to meddle in Hong Kong affairs.

We urge the UK to respect China’s sovereignty and the rule of law in Hong Kong, stop political manipulation, and stop interference in China’s internal affairs, to avoid disrupting and undermining China-UK relations.