HONG KONG, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- The office of the commissioner of the Chinese foreign ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Friday strongly disapproved of and firmly rejected the 2021 annual report on the implementation of the common foreign and security policy released by the European Parliament.
The report of the European Parliament vilified Hong Kong's democracy and the rule of law, slandered the Chinese government's policies towards Hong Kong, and clamored for sanctions and intervention activities, said a spokesperson for the commissioner's office.
The spokesperson said the national security law in Hong Kong targets only a small group of criminals engaged in activities endangering national security, and Hong Kong residents enjoy a wide range of democratic rights and freedoms under the law.
With the effective implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong and the new electoral system, the rule of law and peaceful life in Hong Kong have been restored, and the business environment has been more favorable, the spokesperson said.
"Thanks to the measures, Hong Kong has been able to focus on fighting the pandemic, revitalizing the economy and improving people's livelihood, ushering in a whole new phrase featuring sound governance," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson pointed out that the report of the European Parliament is inconsistent with facts and full of ideological bias on Hong Kong-related parts.
"Wearing tinted-glasses, some European Parliament politicians have ignored the positive changes in Hong Kong's political ecology and the mainstream public opinion of Hong Kong society seeking stability and development," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson noted that these politicians smeared and meddled with China's internal affairs including Hong Kong affairs willfully under the guise of democracy, human rights and international law.
The spokesperson reiterated that Hong Kong is part of China and Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs.
The spokesperson said the Chinese government remains firm in its resolve to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, to implement the principle of "one country, two systems," and to oppose external forces interfering in Hong Kong affairs.
The spokesperson strongly urged the European Parliament to put itself in the right position, abide by international law and the basic norms governing international relations, stop slandering and distorting "one country, two systems" and the rule of law in Hong Kong, and stop interfering in China's internal affairs including Hong Kong affairs. ■
