Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on Monday called the US initiative to end the special relationship with Hong Kong over Beijing's proposed national security bill an intrusion into China's domestic affairs
BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st June, 2020) Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on Monday called the US initiative to end the special relationship with Hong Kong over Beijing's proposed national security bill an intrusion into China's domestic affairs.
Last week, US President Donald Trump announced that Washington intended to reconsider its ties with the city, including the preferential treatment from the US it enjoys, as well as sanction both Chinese and Hong Kong officials for allegedly undermining the city's autonomy.
"The US leadership's statements ignore all the facts. These measures are an intrusion in China's domestic affairs and significantly undermine China-US relations. We are expressing a decisive protest," the spokesman said during a press briefing, adding that Hong Kong is a part of China, and all the city-related issues are domestic affairs.
At the annual National People's Congress (NPC) on May 22, China's ruling Communist Party proposed a bill that would ban "separatist, subversive and terrorist activities," along with any form of foreign interference in Hong Kong. The NPC is expected to vote on the bill at the end of the annual session, which is likely to wrap up on May 28. This initiative has provoked another wave of protests, as some are afraid that the bill would curtail the city's liberties and undermine its special position within China.
