This photo dated Oct 28, 2014 shows the Central Government Offices at Tamar, Hong Kong. (PHOTO/HKSAR GOVERNMENT)

HONG KONG - The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's government on Tuesday strongly condemned the so-called "sanctions" imposed by the US against 14 vice-chairmen of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC).

In a statement issued on Tuesday afternoon, the HKSAR government urged the US to immediately stop interfering in the internal affairs of the People's Republic of China (PRC) under the geopolitically-motivated pretext of human rights or democracy.

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"The US government has clearly ignored the constitutional order of the HKSAR and the facts relevant to the NPCSC's decisions. The so-called 'sanctions' arbitrarily imposed by the US government smacks of political manipulation and double standards,” a government spokesman was quoted as saying in the statement. 

"It is also blatant interference in the internal affairs of the PRC, violating international law and basic norms governing international relations," he said.

The HKSAR government urged the US to immediately stop interfering in the internal affairs of the People's Republic of China under the geopolitically-motivated pretext of human rights or democracy

"The acts of the US Government are resented by the people of Hong Kong and the whole nation. We strongly condemn such irresponsible acts and urge the US Government to immediately stop interfering in our nation's affairs," he added.

He said the National People's Congress (NPC) is the highest organ of state power in the PRC and the NPCSC is its permanent body.  

The spokesman added that the NPCSC also has the authority to interpret the Basic Law and to handle any constitutional problems arising from the implementation of the Basic Law.

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“Enforcement of national security is likewise under the purview of the central authorities,” he added.

The spokesman said the NPCSC decision to adopt the National Security Law for Hong Kong in June was timely and reasonable in light of the escalating violence and social chaos in the SAR from June last year to early this year.

As for the NPCSC's decision on Nov 11 on the qualification of LegCo members, the spokesman pointed out that Article 104 of the Basic Law clearly stipulates that LegCo members must swear to uphold the Basic Law and "swear allegiance to the HKSAR of the PRC." 

He said four members of the sixth-term LegCo submitted nominations to run for the 2020 LegCo General Election but their nominations were invalidated by Returning Officers on grounds that they had engaged in conduct that breached their oath.

Due to the pandemic, the HKSAR government announced on July 31 that the 2020 LegCo General Election would be postponed for a year and the NPCSC decided on August 11 that the sixth-term LegCo will continue to discharge its duties until the start of the seventh-term LegCo. 

To deal with the issue of whether individuals who were invalidated to contest in the LegCo election could still continue to serve as members of LegCo in the extended term, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor approached the central government to find a constitutional solution.

"As the matter involves the NPCSC's decision made on August 11 and its previous Interpretation of Article 104 of the Basic Law concerning the taking of oaths by members of LegCo, the NPCSC has again, in a resolute and responsible manner, helped to resolve the problem at the constitutional level,” the spokesman said.

He said the NPCSC decision set out clearly the consequences of LegCo members violating the legal prerequisites of upholding the Basic Law and "swearing allegiance to the HKSAR of the PRC". 

He added that it provided the solid legal basis for the HKSAR government to announce the disqualification of the four LegCo members.