Don’t meddle in Hong Kong affairs, US and UK told

PETALING JAYA: China’s state-owned Xinhua News Agency tells politicians in Western countries not to meddle in the affairs of Hong Kong, which has been rocked by weeks of continuous mass demonstrations since June over the now-delayed plan to introduce an extradition order.

In an editorial on Friday (July 26), the Chinese news agency said: “The government and the people of China will not allow any foreign government, organisation or individual to interfere in Hong Kong affairs.”

China took back Hong Kong from Britain in 1997, after 150 years of British colonial rule.

Xinhua noted that amid violent incidents “initiated by radical protestors” in Hong Kong, politicians in the United States and United Kingdom did not miss the chance of meddling in China's internal affairs under the pretext of championing freedom and democracy.

In recent weeks, demonstrations had escalated and turned violent. On July 1, protestors stormed and ransacked the Legislative Council Complex in Hong Kong, after attacking police officers in clashes.

On June 30 evening, they besieged the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government, defacing the national emblem.

On Friday (July 26), they moved their target to Hong Kong's international airport.

In the editorial, Xinhua said: “Just as Hong Kong's society called for a curb on violence, and the government and police of the Hong Kong took necessary and lawful measures to maintain the social order, some American and British politicians took turns to comment on the situation.

“Totally disregarding the facts, they urged the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government to respect freedom of speech and assembly and even warned the HKSAR government not to use the damage caused by the protests as an excuse.

“One can not help but wonder if Capitol Hill or the Palace of Westminster were besieged and ransacked, would the two governments just sit by, would the rights of democracy and freedom be exercised with violence and would the overt challenge to the Constitution and trampling on the law be allowed.”

The government news agency stated: “The HKSAR is a special administrative region of China, and its affairs are outright internal affairs of China. The government and the people of China will not allow any foreign government, organisation or individual to interfere in Hong Kong affairs.

“It is the lawful duty of any government to denounce violence, crack down upon crimes and safeguard the rule of law, which should have given no cause for criticism.”