China: "US Retaliatory Measures on Hong Kong Security Law Are Interference in Internal Affairs"

Strong U.S. Push on Hong Kong Met with Fierce Backlash... "Stop Blaming China for COVID-19"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Minwoo Lee] After U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to proceed with the process of revoking Hong Kong's special status, Chinese authorities responded by denouncing it as 'interference in internal affairs.' The confrontation between the two countries appears to be intensifying following China's push to enact the Hong Kong National Security Law (Hong Kong Security Law).

Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated at a regular briefing on the 1st, "The U.S. leader's reprimand of China is completely contrary to the facts," and criticized, "Retaliatory measures related to this are serious interference in all of China's internal affairs." He continued, "Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong, and Hong Kong's affairs are China's internal affairs," emphasizing, "The purpose of the Hong Kong Security Law is to supplement security-related legislation in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to implement 'one country, two systems'." The passage of the Hong Kong Security Law is clearly China's internal matter, and opposing or retaliating against it is a clear interference in internal affairs.

He pointed out that U.S. interference in internal affairs also violates international standards. Zhao said, "No country has the right to interfere (in the passage of the Hong Kong Security Law), nor should they interfere," stressing, "The U.S. interference in the enactment of the Hong Kong Security Law completely violates international law and the basic norms of international relations." He added, "Recently, the U.S. has expanded the concept of national security to maliciously pressure Chinese companies and threatened to investigate Chinese companies listed on the U.S. stock market," warning, "Pressuring Chinese companies and restricting visas for Chinese students violate market competition principles and go against the goodwill of civil exchanges between China and the U.S., which will inevitably worsen bilateral relations."

Earlier, on the 29th (local time), President Trump announced retaliatory measures against China's push to enact the Hong Kong Security Law, including revoking Hong Kong's special status and sanctioning not only Chinese companies but also officials and students.

China also pushed back against the U.S.'s 'COVID-19 China responsibility theory.' Zhao stated, "The U.S. continues to criticize China and the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in an attempt to divert the attention of the American public," calling it "not only highly immoral but also insufficient to deceive the people of the world."