The spokesperson of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the HKSAR strongly disapproved and firmly rejected the misleading comments made by US State Department spokesperson Ned Price as well as a few other politicians and groups about the law enforcement activities of the HKSAR police towards the persons suspected of conspiring to publish seditious materials, which waded into Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs. We urge the external forces to immediately stop botched and boring political performances.

The spokesperson said that Hong Kong is a society governed by the rule of law where laws shall be enforced and lawbreakers held to account. Lawful rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents, including freedom of speech and the press, are fully protected. That said, press freedom is never a passport for crimes. Any activities that undermine national security, the rule of law and public order in the name of “freedom of the press” are an insult to genuine press freedom and will be prosecuted by law. The actions taken by the Hong Kong police in accordance with law speak volumes for the legal principle cherished by Hong Kong and they brook no external interference.

The spokesperson pointed out that a few outside actors openly pointed a finger at the law enforcement activities of the Hong Kong police and clamored for the release of criminal suspects, which damaged the rule of law and social stability in Hong Kong. Green-eyed about a stable and well-governed Hong Kong, the external elements played the “Hong Kong card” time and again to meddle with China’s internal affairs, but their tricks will prove to be nothing but futile political shows. Some politicians and groups proclaimed that they care about the press freedom of others, but closed their eyes to the poor record of their own countries—shutting down news websites, banning journalists from participating in government public activities, suppressing media outlets and reporters in other countries, just to name a few. The world has been more clear-eyed about their hypocrisy, double-standard, condescension and the deceptive nature of their “freedom of the press”.

The spokesperson stressed that Hong Kong is part of China and Hong Kong affairs are purely China’s internal affairs. No political grandstanding can change China’s rock-solid determination to fully and faithfully implement the principle of “one country, two systems”, nor can it hold back the historical trend of Hong Kong moving from chaos to stability and prosperity. We urge relevant politicians to recognize the general trend, change tack, and keep hands off Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs under any pretext.