This should be considered a frank interference in the internal affairs of the country, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
The Chinese authorities have expressed extreme dissatisfaction and strong protest with the statements made by US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and other individual American politicians regarding the protection of human rights in Hong Kong. This was said in a statement issued on Thursday by the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s commissariat in this special administrative region.
“We strongly protest the latest allegations against the central government of China and the Hong Kong administration by politicians such as Pompeo and [Republican Senator] Mark Rubio”, – it said. – “In the absence of any rational arguments, they increase the pressure <…> to justify the illegal actions of radicals who oppose China.”
The document notes that any legislation approved in the United States that relates to “human rights and democracy in Hong Kong” should be considered a blatant interference in China’s internal affairs.
“We want to state directly to Pompeo that the Chinese government will firmly defend our country’s national sovereignty, security and development interests <…> China is categorically against interference by foreign political forces under any pretext”, – it says.
On Sunday, Pompeo said that the U.S. authorities will respond to any decision of the Chinese authorities that violates the autonomy and freedoms of Hong Kong. He added that this “will inevitably affect the assessment of the principle of “one country – two systems” and asked Beijing “not to interfere with the work of American journalists” in this administrative unit.