HONG KONG - The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Thursday strongly condemned the joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States regarding the decision by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) on the qualification of members of the Legislative Council (LegCo).

In a statement issued on Thursday evening, an HKSAR government spokesman said there was “deliberate misrepresentation” in the joint statement and that the foreign ministers' comments, “irresponsible to the point of malice,” were vivid proof of blatant interference in Hong Kong matters which are squarely internal affairs of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

In a statement on Thursday evening, an HKSAR government spokesman said there was “deliberate misrepresentation” in the joint statement and that the foreign ministers' comments, “irresponsible to the point of malice,” were vivid proof of blatant interference in Hong Kong matters which are squarely internal affairs of the People's Republic of China

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According to the statement, Article 104 of the Basic Law requires designated public officers, including LegCo members, to swear to uphold the Basic Law and swear allegiance to the HKSAR when assuming office. 

Indeed, swearing allegiance to the system of the country and upholding laws of the state is an international norm for public officers and any breach of the oath will not be tolerated, it added.

By publicly criticizing the resolute action of the central government and the HKSAR government to disqualify four LegCo members -- Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu, Kwok Ka-ki, Dennis Kwok Wing-hang and Kenneth Leung Kai-cheong -- after it was confirmed that they had breached their oath, the five foreign ministers are clearly applying double standards, according to the statement.

It noted that the four LegCo members were determined by returning officers (ROs) to be unfit to stand in the LegCo election because they acted contrary to the oaths of allegiance to the HKSAR and to uphold the Basic Law.

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The ROs found that all four members solicited intervention by foreign governments or political authorities while Yeung, Kwok Ka-ki and Dennis Kwok also expressed an intention to indiscriminately vote down any legislative proposals, appointments, funding applications and budgets introduced by the HKSAR government, according to the statement.

It added that the NPCSC decision is constitutional, lawful and necessary and that it set out clearly the consequences for LegCo members who violate the legal prerequisites of "upholding the Basic Law of the HKSAR of the PRC" and "swearing allegiance to the HKSAR of the PRC".

The decision provided the solid legal basis for the HKSAR government to announce the four LegCo members' disqualification and does not affect the rights and freedoms, including freedom of speech and freedom of the press, enjoyed by the citizens of Hong Kong, according to the statement.

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The HKSAR government yet again solemnly reminds the international community that foreign governments should stop their scaremongering and interfering in any form in the internal affairs of the HKSAR, it added.