The spokesperson of the Commissioner’s Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR strongly disapproved and firmly rejected a Hong Kong-related bill fabricated by some members of the US Senate and a misleading report released by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, which slandered the National Security Law for the HKSAR, smeared the Hong Kong SAR’s legitimate law enforcement and fair trial of “612 Fund” personnel, and defamed democracy and the rule of law in Hong Kong. We urge the external forces to immediately stop their botched political show rife with ideological bias.

The spokesperson said that in the 25 years since Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, the Central Government has been committed to fully and accurately implementing the principles of “one country, two systems”, “Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong” and “Hong Kong enjoying a high degree of autonomy”, and firmly supported the development of democracy with Hong Kong characteristics. Hong Kong residents’ freedoms of speech, press, publication and assembly have been fully protected by law. Since the implementation of the national security law, public order in Hong Kong has been restored, the rule of law upheld, and Hong Kong’s development back on track. Lawful rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people have been safeguarded, and foreign investors in Hong Kong enjoy a more safe, stable and predictable business environment. Hong Kong citizens are full of confidence in “one country, two systems” and Hong Kong’s bright future.

The spokesperson pointed out that both the Basic Law and the National Security Law for the HKSAR stipulate that human rights shall be respected and protected, but no rights and freedoms are absolute and they must be exercised within the limits prescribed by law. Hong Kong is a society governed by the rule of law where no one is above the law, and no rights and freedoms should cross the bottom line of national security. This is an explicit provision of international conventions and also the common legal practice of all countries. The SAR took law enforcement actions and conducted fair trials in accordance with law to safeguard national security, which is completely legitimate and lawful and brooks no interference.

The spokesperson stressed that facts speak louder than words and lies will eventually go bankrupt. The United States claims itself as a “defender of human rights”,but in fact, it is the creator of global human rights disasters. In the US, ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples are subjected to unequal treatment, and the police take discriminatory law enforcement actions. What’s more, the US faces a myriad of problems such as gun violence, migrant humanitarian crisis, torturing of prisoners, and rioters attacking Congress, to name just a few. They all pose serious threats to the human rights of American people. Outside the US, the US wages wars on many countries, sanctions other countries arbitrarily, and often causes civilian casualties, social unrest, economic depression and humanitarian crises. Facts have proved time and again that the US is no longer the so-called “beacon of democracy”, it’s unworthy of the name of “defender of human rights”, and it has no qualification to lecture others in a condescending manner. The US has long been obsessed with holding a “flashlight” in hand doing nothing but to check out on the weakness of others and not on their own, which only exposes American hypocrisy and double standards. The whole world condemns such an American-style act, and the international community will jointly reject it.

The spokesperson reiterated that the trend of Hong Kong moving from chaos to stability and greater prosperity is irreversible and that the resolve of the Central Government and the SAR Government to implement the national security law is rock-solid. Hong Kong is not a “show stage” where a small number of external forces could point a finger at others’ human rights situation, and the international community will never be fooled by the political manipulation of a few Western countries. The irresponsible rhetoric of some American politicians can never undermine Hong Kong’s sound governance or the bright future of “one country, two systems”.