The United States announced the imposition of visa restrictions on Chinese United Front Work Department officials. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded: Necessary measures will continue to be taken.
At the regular press conference of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on December 7, a reporter asked: U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo issued a statement on December 4 announcing the imposition of visa restrictions on Chinese United Front Work Department officials. On the same day, Pompeo issued a statement announcing the termination of five Sino-US cultural exchange projects. What is China’s comment on this?
Spokesman Hua Chunying said that China firmly opposes and strongly condemns Pompeo’s vicious attacks on China’s political system and further restrictions on Sino-US cultural exchanges by the United States.
“It must be pointed out that some anti-China forces in the United States stubbornly adhere to the cold war thinking, in an attempt to provoke the ideological antagonism between China and the United States and further undermine Sino-US relations.” Hua Chunying stressed that this practice completely violates the fundamental interests of the Chinese and American peoples, violates the trend of historical development, and is destined to be in vain. China will continue to take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereign security and development interests.
Foreign media said that the United States would impose sanctions on at least 12 Chinese officials on the Hong Kong issue, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded.
According to Reuters on the 7th, the United States is preparing to impose sanctions on at least 12 Chinese officials on the grounds that they are suspected of “rele in disqualifying Hong Kong’s opposition parliament”. The United States may take the action against Chinese Communist Party officials as early as Monday, Reuters said. The report also quoted two sources as saying that up to 14 people will face asset freezes and financial sanctions, including deputies to the National People’s Congress of China and members of the Communist Party of China.
“The so-called decision you mentioned has not been officially announced,” spokesman Hua Chunying said at the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on December 7 in response to questions related to Reuters. “If the report is true, you can also think of China’s position.”
Hua Chunyu stressed that China has made it clear many times before that China has always firmly opposed and strongly condemned the United States for interfering in China’s internal affairs through the Hong Kong issue and imposing so-called sanctions on Chinese personnel. We have repeatedly expressed our solemn position to the United States in this regard, and have made some legitimate and necessary responses.
Hua Chunyu reiterated that the decision of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China on the qualification of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Constitution, the Basic Law of Hong Kong and the National Security Law of Hong Kong is an inevitable requirement for upholding and improving the system of “one country, two systems”. It is also a necessary order to maintain the rule of law and constitutional order in Hong Kong. It is legal.
Reasonable and not to be challenged. Hua Chundi further stressed that Hong Kong is China’s Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong issue is purely China’s internal affairs. No foreign country has the right to intervene. China urges the United States to immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, and stop going further and further on the wrong road. If the United States persists in doing its own way, China will continue to take resolute countermeasures to safeguard the country’s sovereign security interests and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese personnel.
“I also want to take this opportunity to say a few more words, and I hope Reuters can also report it fully.” Hua Chundi further said, you know, it is international practice for public officials to swear allegiance to the national system.
According to statistics, 177 of the 193 members of the United Nations clearly stipulate the oath system for national public officials in their constitutions. In the United States Congress, members of the United States must be loyal to the United States Constitution; in the United Kingdom, anyone who refuses to be loyal to the Queen will not be able to take office.
“As public officials in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, members of the Legislative Council must of course sincerely support the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and be loyal to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.”
Hua Chunqi said, “I don’t think any country will turn a blind eye to the violations of their oaths and betrayal of the country by public officials, including parliamentarians.”
Hua Chunyu said, in fact, as we know, there are more than 20 members of the history of the U.S. Congress and the British House of Commons, who have been disqualified for violating the rules of Parliament, holding dual citizenship or treasoning the country. Therefore, the unfounded accusations of China by the United States on this issue have fully exposed their Double standards.” We once again urge them to recognize their wrong words and deeds and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs.
U.S. media: The Trump administration is preparing to impose sanctions on at least a dozen Chinese officials on the pretext that Hong Kong opposition lawmakers are disqualified.
According to Bloomberg, two sources revealed that the United States is preparing to impose so-called “sanctions” on at least a dozen Chinese officials, pretexting that they are related to the recent disqualification of Hong Kong opposition legislators.
According to the report, people familiar with the matter who declined to be named said that the latest round of sanctions may be announced as early as the 7th local time.
The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress announced its decision on the qualification of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong on November 11. It is inconsistent with upholding the “Hong Kong independence” claim, refusing to recognize the state’s ownership and exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, seeking foreign or overseas forces to interfere in the affairs of the Special Administrative Region, or committing other acts that endanger national security. The Basic Law and the legal requirements and conditions for allegiance to the Special Administrative Region will be disqualified in the Legislative Council in real time once they are recognized according to law.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the decision of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress also applies to the sixth session of the Legislative Council who were invalidated according to law during the nomination period of the seventh Legislative Council election originally scheduled to be held on September 6 this year.
This decision shall apply to those who will run for election or serve in the Legislative Council in the future. On this basis, the Hong Kong SAR Government immediately announced that four pan-democratic members of Yang Yueqiao, Kwok Wing-yu, Kwok Ka-ki and Leung Ji-chang were disqualified from the Legislative Council in real time.
The above four people had previously registered for the seventh Legislative Council election, but were later ruled invalid (DQ) by the Electoral Officer. According to Hong Kong media reports, Guo Rongyu and four other people have lobbied or supported the United States to legislate sanctions against Hong Kong, interfere in China’s internal affairs and Hong Kong affairs, seriously harming the interests of the country and Hong Kong.
Earlier, in November, the U.S. government also announced sanctions against four mainland and Hong Kong officials on the grounds of actions such as the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law.
In response, the website of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government issued a press release saying that it strongly opposed the despicable behavior of the U.S. government to impose so-called “sanctions” on four Central People’s Government and SAR government officials.
The communiqué said that the SAR government will unswervingly implement the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Safeguarding of National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (the Hong Kong National Security Law) without fear of any intimidation.
At that time, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin also said that the relevant actions of the United States openly interfered in Hong Kong’s affairs and grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs, seriously violating international law and basic norms of international relations. China firmly opposes this and strongly condemns it.
Hong Kong is China’s Hong Kong. Hong Kong affairs are purely China’s internal affairs, and no external forces have the right to interfere. China urges the United States to stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs immediately, immediately lift the so-called sanctions, and not go further and further on the wrong road.
