BEIJING, March 20 (EFE). – China has “firmly” rejected criticism from the United Kingdom and the European Union over the recently approved national security law in Hong Kong, urging them to “end their interference in internal affairs” now. colonial ambition.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry's commissioner in Hong Kong confirmed on Wednesday in a statement that since Hong Kong's return to China in 1997, the United Kingdom has “no sovereignty, governance or supervision” over the semi-autonomous region, accusing the country of “… “Disturbing the peace,” “making arbitrary comments,” and “violating international law and basic norms of international relations,” motivated by “an entrenched colonial mentality.”
China urged the UK to “acknowledge the reality”, “abandon its colonial influence in Hong Kong” and “refrain from interference”.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron confirmed after the law was passed that it would “further harm the city's rights and freedoms” and expressed his concern about “the erosion of the freedoms of expression, assembly and the press.” In the former colony.
Likewise, a different statement by the Commissioner called on the EU to “support” the aforementioned legislation, “abandon double standards” and “end interference in Hong Kong’s internal affairs.”
The Community Bloc's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, stressed that the law “could exacerbate the erosion of fundamental freedoms and political pluralism in Hong Kong”, while calling into question “Hong Kong's long-term attractiveness as an international centre”. Business Center.
Hong Kong's Legislative Council on Tuesday approved a controversial national security bill, which will come into effect on March 23, the city's chief executive, John Lee, announced.
Regulations in the so-called Article 23 of the Basic Law that seek to cover loopholes in the national security law imposed by Beijing in June 2020 after mass anti-government protests in 2019 have raised concerns in the European Union. And in countries such as the United States, Great Britain and Australia, which have expressed fear that the new rule will lead to restrictions on rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.
Article 23 of the Basic Law requires the city to enact its own laws to prevent any act of treason, secession, sedition or subversion against the central government or theft of state secrets, prevent foreign political organizations from carrying out activities in the city and use veto power at the local level. Political groups that maintain relations with their foreign counterparts.
The new legislation includes crimes that could be punished by life imprisonment, including treason, rebellion, and inciting a member of the Chinese armed forces to rebel, as well as colluding with external forces to destroy or weaken public infrastructure in order to endanger the homeland. protection.
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