HKSAR govt strongly condemns so-called US sanctions

HONG KONG -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government Tuesday strongly condemned the so-called sanctions imposed by the US government against the 14 vice chairs of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC).

The HKSAR government urged the US government to immediately stop interfering in the internal affairs of the People's Republic of China (PRC) under the geopolitically-motivated pretext of human rights or democracy.

"After months of malicious attempts to make use of incidents in Hong Kong to attack the PRC, it should be clear to all that the US government officials and politicians have chosen to ignore the constitutional order of Hong Kong as an inalienable part of the PRC and her status as a special administrative region directly accountable to the Central People's Government and enjoying a high degree of autonomy," a spokesman for the HKSAR government said.

The NPC is the highest organ of state power in the PRC and the NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC) is its permanent body, said the spokesman, the NPC and its standing committee have the constitutional power and duty to enact national law and apply it to Hong Kong in accordance with the HKSAR Basic Law, and to monitor the implementation of the HKSAR Basic Law.

The NPCSC also has the authority to interpret the HKSAR Basic Law and to handle any constitutional problems arising from the implementation of the HKSAR Basic Law, the spokesman said.

The NPCSC adopted in June this year the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR and applied it to Hong Kong by promulgation in accordance with the HKSAR Basic Law.

This is a timely, reasonable and highly responsible decision. Since the implementation of the law, violence has significantly subsided and Hong Kong people could once again enjoy their basic rights and freedoms in accordance with the law, the spokesman said.

The U.S. government has clearly ignored the constitutional order of the HKSAR and the facts relevant to the NPCSC's decisions, said the spokesman.

The so-called sanctions arbitrarily imposed by the US government, according to the spokesman, smack of political manipulation and double standards.

It is also blatant interference in the internal affairs of the PRC, violating international law and basic norms governing international relations, said the spokesman.

"The acts of the US government are resented by the people of Hong Kong and the whole nation. We strongly condemn such irresponsible acts and urge the US government to immediately stop interfering in our nation's affairs," said the spokesman.