In a strongly worded response to the White House decision to extend and expand Deferred Enforced Departure for certain Hong Kong residents in the United States, the Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong on Friday urged Washington to "forsake the pipe dream of containing China with Hong Kong", and "immediately stop the execrable show of interfering in Hong Kong affairs".
While the applicability of the national security legislation in Hong Kong in no way compromises the "one country, two systems" framework, the US has accused Beijing of undermining Hong Kong's autonomy. Those suspected of criminal wrongdoings, from street violence to collusion with foreign forces, and who fled the SAR after the introduction of the national security law, are being provided safe haven as "freedom fighters" worth protection.
What is a natural assertion of Chinese sovereign rights over the SAR is being utilized against Beijing as evidence of it curtailing the SAR's autonomy. Likewise, what in the mainland authorities' eyes is a means of maintaining stability and order is being distorted as a tool of suppression.
However, as the Foreign Ministry office in Hong Kong stated, "Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong, Hong Kong affairs are purely China's domestic affairs". The corresponding Memorandum on DED extension and expansion, it argued, defames the rule of law and human rights conditions in Hong Kong, maliciously attacks the national security law for Hong Kong, interferes in Hong Kong and China's domestic affairs, and openly tramples on the basic principles of international law and international relations.
Hong Kong is "moving forward steadily on the correct track of 'one country, two systems'". The true purpose of the US memorandum is to provide "those who oppose China and disrupt Hong Kong and fled overseas" with safe havens by manipulating visa policies, which "fully exposes the malicious US intention" to destabilize the SAR.
The US is hyping up the "consequences" of the national security law in Hong Kong to denigrate the legislation. The truth is around 230 people have been arrested by the SAR police authorities on suspicion of endangering national security, among these, a little more than 30 have been tried and found guilty in court.
This is in clear contrast with Washington's allegation of "continued and repeated attacks on the protected rights and freedoms cherished by people in Hong Kong".
The enactment of the national security law has played a decisive role in realizing Hong Kong's transition from chaos to governance and continued prosperity, by effectively countering the efforts of outside elements to instigate chaos in the SAR using local proxies. Due to its implementation Hong Kong is once again stable, united and thriving.