Chinese envoy: UK has no right of 'supervision' over Hong Kong

Chinese ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming on Wednesday rejected the unwarranted accusations of the UK side against the national security law for Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and stated China's solemn position regarding the wrong remarks and deeds of the UK side.

"The recent remarks by the UK side on the national security law for Hong Kong SAR are irresponsible and unwarranted. They represent a gross interference in China's internal affairs and run counter to the important principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and non-interference in each other's internal affairs endorsed by the UN Charter and the Joint Communiqué of the UK and China on exchange of ambassadors," Liu said during a meeting with Simon McDonald, UK's Permanent Under-Secretary to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the UK will extend residency rights and a path to citizenship for up to 3 million people in Hong Kong, after the national security law for Hong Kong was ratified.

The Chinese side expresses its grave concern and strong opposition, Liu added.

He stressed that the core content of the Sino-British Joint Declaration is to make sure that Hong Kong returns to China.

"Not a single word or paragraph in the Joint Declaration gives the UK any responsibility over Hong Kong after its handover. The UK has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of 'supervision' over Hong Kong after the handover. Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China. Its affairs are purely China's internal affairs and brook no external interference," Liu underlined.

"It is always the central government of a country that is responsible for upholding national security. The national security law for Hong Kong SAR is timely, necessary and reasonable," Liu noted.

He added that China remains unwavering in its determination to safeguard its national sovereignty, security and development interests, and urged the UK side to immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs, which are internal affairs of China.

The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, which went into effect on Tuesday night, is a major effort taken by the Chinese central government and makes secession, subversion and collusion with foreign forces illegal. Various Hong Kong officials, including chief executive Carrie Lam, have voiced their full support to the bill.