MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th September, 2019) The situation around the mass protests in Hong Kong is Beijing's internal affair, and any attempts of foreign countries, organizations or individuals to interfere in the issue are unacceptable, new Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui told Sputnik in an interview.
"Hong Kong is Chinese, neither American nor British. The Hong Kong affairs relate exclusively to China's internal affairs, in which states, organizations or individuals must not interfere. Some Western countries, led by the United States, ignore China's firm and fair position and disregard the international law and the basic norms of international relations," the ambassador stressed.
Zhang said that events in Hong Kong had shown that "the so-called democracy and freedoms propped by absence of the rule of law and order may only lead to anarchy and unrest in the society."
The current task of the Hong Kong authorities is to use legal means to prevent violence and restore public order, Zhang said.
"The central government of the PRC [People's Republic of China] continues to strongly support the legitimate policies of the [Hong Kong Special Administrative Region] SAR administration and strict enforcement of the law and order by the Hong Kong police," he added.
Zhang praised Russia's position regarding the Hong Kong crisis and stressed that Moscow and Beijing demonstrated support for each other in that issue, expressing readiness for further cooperation between the two countries.
"The whole world has seen that China and Russia support each other on this issue, indicating that both sides have common interests and demands in terms of protecting state sovereignty and security, maintaining social stability and order, and countering external interference. The Chinese side is ready to work together with Russia to strengthen mutual support, deepen strategic cooperation and protect common interests," the ambassador stated.
The mass protests in Hong Kong started in early June as a reaction to proposed amendments to the city's extradition laws but over the months have grown into a full-blown opposition movement that demands not only the withdrawal of the controversial initiative, but also Chief Executive Carrie Lam's resignation, the retraction of the government's classification of the violent clashes as riots, an independent inquiry into police violence and the release of everyone arrested in the conflict.
In June, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow saw the unrest in Hong Kong as an internal affair of China and was not going to interfere.
Meanwhile, in August, US President Donald Trump offered to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in person to discuss the Hong Kong crisis. Beijing said in response that it hoped Washington would refrain from giving advice on its policy toward Hong Kong and respect its sovereignty.
