Question: According to media report, UK Home Secretary Priti Patel said yesterday in a meeting with individuals from Hong Kong including Nathan Law that the United Kingdom would "stand by the people of Hong Kong" and "keep our promise to protect and uphold their freedoms." What is the comment of the Chinese Embassy in the UK?

Embassy Spokesperson: As the founding Chairman of Demosisto, an organisation that seeks "Hong Kong independence", Nathan Law is wanted by the Hong Kong police on suspicion of secession and collusion with foreign or external forces to endanger national security. The UK Home Secretary's brazen move of meeting with someone who is wanted by the police in China and lending support to "Hong Kong independence" elements constitutes grave interference in China's internal affairs and judicial sovereignty, severe breach of international law and the basic norms governing international relations and complete violation of the UK's position of not supporting "Hong Kong independence". The Chinese side expresses grave concern and firm opposition, and urges the UK side to immediately right its wrongs and take measures to address the negative impact.

Since the handover of Hong Kong, the principles of "One Country, Two Systems", "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy have been implemented fully and the people have enjoyed unprecedented democracy and freedoms in Hong Kong. By contrast, during the times of British colonial rule, the people of Hong Kong never had democracy, human rights or freedoms. Despite Hong Kong being a special administrative region of China for 23 years, the UK side still seems unable to come to terms with this fact, vowing to "protect" and "safeguard" the freedoms of Hong Kong people which it never gave during its colonial rule, and even insisting on breaking its word and making changes to BNO arrangement. This reflects a typical, colonial mentality!

Hong Kong is part of China. Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs and brook no interference by any foreign country in any form. The Chinese Government remains unwavering in its determination to safeguard China's sovereignty, security and development interests, to implement "One Country, Two Systems" fully and accurately, to enforce the National Security Law for Hong Kong SAR and to oppose any interference in Hong Kong affairs by any external force. The UK has no sovereignty, jurisdiction, right of "supervision" or so-called "responsibility" over Hong Kong after the handover. We urge the UK side to wake up and refrain from going any further down the wrong path, and immediately stop all forms of interference in Hong Kong affairs, which are China's internal affairs. Such interference will only be self-defeating.