China To Retaliate To Canada's Actions Over Hong Kong Security Law - Beijing

China to Retaliate to Canada's Actions Over Hong Kong Security Law - Beijing

China reserves the right to respond to Canada's actions regarding Hong Kong's national security law, and the Canadian side will be held accountable for all the consequences, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Monday

BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th July, 2020) China reserves the right to respond to Canada's actions regarding Hong Kong's national security law, and the Canadian side will be held accountable for all the consequences, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Monday.

The Canadian government previously announced the suspension of deliveries of military products and goods of high strategic importance to Hong Kong amid the adoption of the legislation by Beijing. In addition, Canada suspended the extradition treaty with Hong Kong.

"The Canadian side's erroneous statements and actions regarding Hong Kong do not take into account the fact that the Hong Kong national security law contributes to the sustainable and long-term implementation of the 'one country, two systems' principle. These [statements and actions of Canada] are a serious violation of basic norms of international relations and international law, as well as a gross interference in China's internal affairs," Zhao said.

According to the spokesman, in this regard, the Chinese side expresses strong condemnation and reserves the right to a further response, while the responsibility for all the consequences lies entirely with the Canadian side.

"Hong Kong's affairs are China's internal affairs, not a single foreign country has the right to intervene ... China calls on Canada to correct its mistakes, stop any interference in Hong Kong's affairs and China's internal affairs in order to avoid further damage to the relations between the two countries," he added.

On June 30, the highest legislative authority of China, the standing committee of the National Peoples' Congress, passed the draft law on national security in Hong Kong which criminalizes subversion, separatism, terrorism and collusion with third countries. Chinese President Xi Jinping enacted the law shortly later.

The controversial legislation, which has triggered new waves of protests in Hong Kong and a backlash abroad over the 40 days it had been under review by Chinese authorities, has paved the way for Beijing to establish an agency in Hong Kong to supervise the implementation of new security provisions.

Despite the concerns of local activists over the new law's negative impact on civil liberties in the city, both Beijing and Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam have stressed that the law only aims to target subversive and terrorist activities without harming existing democratic liberties of local residents.

Under the 1984 Joint Declaration of the United Kingdom and China, Hong Kong was transferred under Chinese rule in 1997 as a special administrative unit whose citizens would enjoy exclusive political, economic and personal freedoms until 2047 under the "one country, two systems" concept.