China to UK: Stop interfering in Hong Kong's affairs
3 Min Read
As Hong Kong law enforcement is on alert to fend off sabotage or interference in the upcoming elections, China denounces a UK report on Hong Kong.
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Staff members working at a counting station in Hong Kong, south China, Sept. 19, 2021 (Xinhua)
Hong Kong authorities are on high alert, as fears of sabotage and interfering in the fairness of the upcoming HK Legislative Council (LegCo) grow.
HK's Police Commissioner, Raymond Siu Chak-yee, said more than 10,000 police officers will be deployed on Sunday across the city to ensure that the elections will run smoothly.
Authorities have asserted a zero-tolerance policy to any illegal acts that may sabotage the elections. Although Hong Kong's electoral reforms have brought stability to the city over the past year, some overseas figures, including former lawmakers and district councilors, have taken to social media to instigate the public to cast blank votes on Sunday.
Sunny Cheung, Nathan Law, and former Kowloon City district councilor Timothy Lee are all wanted on such grounds and have urged countries to sanction certain individuals in Hong Kong. According to the law, instigating others to cast blank votes can carry a penalty of up to three years of jail time, with a hefty fine of around $26,000.
Chinese Embassy in the UK: British report over Hong Kong interferes in China's internal affairs
The Chinese Embassy in the UK has slammed Britain for its interference in Chinese affairs after the publication of the "six-monthly report on Hong Kong."
China has expressed "grave concern and strong opposition to Britain's interference in China's internal affairs and severe violation of the basic norms governing international relations by publishing the so-called 'Six-monthly Report on Hong Kong,'" according to an Embassy spokesperson.
In accordance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong, China would resume the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong as of 1 July 1997, under the "one country, two systems" model.
"The Joint Declaration does not give the UK any responsibility over Hong Kong after the handover, nor does the UK have sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of 'supervision' over Hong Kong," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also added that HK is governed in accordance with the Chinese Constitution, and not the Joint Declaration, meaning that no foreign country has the right to use the latter as an excuse to interfere in Hong Kong's affairs.
The UK is home to a number of Hong Kong dissidents, such as Nathan Law, Honcques Laus, Simon Cheng, who use social media to incite people against Hong Kong authorities.
