The Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Monday strongly condemned the United States’ decision to sanction the SAR over the proposed national security legislation — saying this was a blatant act of interference.

The move will only harm American people’s interests in Hong Kong, but will not stop the SAR from achieving greater development with the law, a spokesperson for the office said in a statement.

The move (US sanctions) will only harm American people’s interests in Hong Kong, but will not stop the SAR from achieving greater development with the law  

Spokesperson for the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 

To derail the national security legislation for the SAR proposed by China’s top legislature, US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington would cancel the trade and travel exemptions for Hong Kong.

The spokesperson stressed that all sovereign states have the right to safeguard national security. This means the legislation for Hong Kong is entirely China’s own affair and brooks no foreign interference. 

There is no justification for the US — which has its own robust national security law — to meddle in China’s legislation in this area, the spokesperson stressed, adding that such interference also violates the basic principles of international law.

The sanction threat shows that the US is just using Hong Kong to contain China — which further proves the urgency for the national security legislation, the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson said the small group of Hong Kong people calling for US intervention should realize Washington’s double standards when handling national and international affairs. “They should wake up from their dream.”

The spokesperson also said the city’s economic status would ultimately not be affected by the US move.

Hong Kong’s role as a separate customs territory was not given to it by individual countries, but recognized by the World Trade Organization, the spokesperson emphasized.

What Hong Kong has achieved was never bestowed on it by foreign countries. It was the result of painstaking efforts by Hong Kong residents, and its role as a gateway to China — the city’s unique edge, the spokesperson argued.

As long as different sectors of Hong Kong make united efforts, the city will definitely embrace a brighter future, the spokesperson said.

Given that the US has huge business interests in Hong Kong, its sanctions will be a case of “shooting itself in the foot”.

According to US statistics, from 2009 to 2018, the aggregate trade surplus the US enjoyed over Hong Kong reached a hefty US$297 billion.

More than 1,300 US companies operate in Hong Kong, half of which have their headquarters or offices in the city. About 85,000 US citizens were living in the Asian financial hub in 2018.

The spokesperson said no benefits will be achieved by the US unilaterally changing its policy toward Hong Kong.