HONG KONG, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said Friday that it deplored the attempts by relevant countries to continuously interfere in the normal legislative process of the HKSAR.
A spokesperson said the commissioner's office was "gravely concerned about" a joint statement issued Thursday by British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland about the HKSAR government's amendments of Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance.
"We deplore and firmly oppose the attempts by the relevant countries to continuously interfere in the normal legislative process of the HKSAR," the spokesperson said.
As the HKSAR government has repeatedly emphasized, the amendments of the two ordinances are aimed to plug legal loopholes and uphold social justice, the spokesperson said, adding that the amendments will only improve instead of undermining the rule of law in the HKSAR, and better safeguard the rights and freedoms that Hong Kong residents enjoy in accordance with law.
The HKSAR government has widely solicited opinions and suggestions from various sectors of society on the amendments, and made authoritative and detailed responses to their questions, the spokesperson pointed out.
"We urge the relevant countries to respect international law and basic norms governing international relations, respect facts and the rule of law, reject double standards, and get rid of biases," the spokesperson said.
The relevant countries "are advised not to alarm themselves with groundless fears, and still less should they intimidate others out of ulterior motives," the spokesperson said, adding that "we urge them to refrain from disrupting the law-based governance of the HKSAR government and stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs, which are China's domestic affairs, under any pretext."
