Aron Kwok Wai-keung, a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, displays a sign reading “Please faithfully perform your duties” to warn opposition lawmaker Dennis Kwok Wing-hang, who presided over the Legislative Council’s House Committee election proceedings, against filibustering the meeting again on April 17, 2020. The committee had failed to elect a chairman for the 15th time. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)
Certain opposition politicians are deliberately distorting
the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region by criticizing the
central authorities’ comments on the impasse in the Legislative Council as
“interference” in the city’s internal affairs, the central government’s liaison
office in Hong Kong noted.
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In fact, what truly constitutes “interference” is their begging foreign governments to meddle in Hong Kong’s affairs, which are also China’s internal affairs, a spokesperson for the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region said in an online statement on Friday.
In fact, what truly constitutes “interference” is their begging foreign governments to meddle in Hong Kong’s affairs, which are also China’s internal affairs, a spokesperson for the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR said
The remarks came after the LegCo’s House Committee againfailed to elect a chairperson at its 15th meeting of the current legislative year due to the opposition camp’s filibustering. The deadlock has stalled the committee’s operations for more than half a year.
On Monday, the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office and the liaison office denounced the politicians for failing to perform their duties in public office.
But, a handful of people called the criticism an “interference” in the city’s internal affairs. They accused the two agencies of violating Article 22 of the Basic Law of Hong Kong SAR, which stipulates that no departments of the central government may interfere in the affairs which the SAR government administers on its own in accordance with the Basic Law.
The liaison office pointed out that the two offices are different from central government departments as prescribed by the article in the general sense. They are dedicated departments specifically empowered by the central authorities to be in charge of handling Hong Kong affairs, it said.
Thus, the liaison office said it’s “absolutely right and
legitimate” for the two central government bodies in charge of Hong Kong
affairs to comment on the issue. It’s not only their duty to do so, but also in
line with the rights granted by the nation’s Constitution and the SAR’s Basic
Law, the office stressed.
SAR’s high degree of autonomy, including the right to pass legislation, was empowered by the central authorities, and it’s obvious they have the right to supervise the powers they have granted to the SAR, the office said.
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Yet, some people who understand the logic have cited the Basic Law in accusing the two central government organizations of meddling in the city’s affairs. They have deliberately distorted the Basic Law and misled the public, the office pointed out.
The spokesperson said those who have, in fact, undermined Hong Kong people’s benefits are those politicians who collude with foreign forces to impair the SAR’s law-based governance.
For quite a long time, especially during Hong Kong’s months-long social unrest, some opposition politicians had frequently begged foreign governments to intervene in the city’s internal affairs.
They had even gone as far as asking these countries to cancel the SAR’s status as an independent economic entity, restrict exports of high-tech products to Hong Kong, and demanded that stricter sanctions be imposed on Hong Kong.
Such conduct has brazenly betrayed Hong Kong people and the nation and breached the bottom line of “one country, two systems”, it said.
