The chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, speaks during an exclusive interview with China Daily in the city on Dec 9. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

China will sanction United States officials who meddle in the affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as a countermeasure to US sanctions against senior Chinese lawmakers, according to a statement from China’s top legislature on Dec 9.

The statement was made by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress after the US announced sanctions on 14 vice-chairpersons of the committee, citing its decision to enact the National Security Law for Hong Kong and another decision that led to the disqualification of four Hong Kong opposition lawmakers.

“The US sanctions are a typical example of political bullying and double standards. We strongly condemn and oppose this,” the statement said.

Hong Kong affairs are purely China’s internal affairs. The NPC Standing Committee adopted the National Security Law for Hong Kong to safeguard China’s national sovereignty, security and development interests and Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability, as well as to ensure the stable and long-term operation of the principle of “one country, two systems”, the statement said.

“We firmly oppose any external interference in Hong Kong affairs in any way and will fulfill our lawful duties as always to handle Hong Kong affairs in accordance with the law,” the statement said.

The Chinese government is firmly committed to safeguarding China’s national sovereignty, security and development interests, implementing “one country, two systems” fully and faithfully, and opposing any interference in Hong Kong affairs, it said.

Related Chinese government bodies will sanction US officials who meddle in Hong Kong affairs and undermine China’s sovereign security by initiating and promoting Hong Kong-related measures, the statement added.

Hong Kong’s chief executive on Dec 9 lambasted the US government for its continued blatant intervention in the city’s internal affairs, saying that the unreasonable and unjustified move is proof of the country’s hypocrisy.

The US has stepped up its interference in Hong Kong since the enactment of the National Security Law for the special administrative region on June 30. It has so far imposed sanctions on 29 Hong Kong and Chinese mainland officials involved in implementing the law, and passed what it calls a “Hong Kong People’s Freedom and Choice Act”.

HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who is on the US sanctions list, said she believed everyone would agree that the US actions are against international laws.

Since its return to the motherland, the HKSAR is an inalienable part of China, with its matters remaining China’s internal affairs, Lam stressed in an exclusive interview with China Daily.

“No state should try to interfere in matters which squarely fall within the domestic affairs of another state. And the enactment of national security legislation is clearly, without doubt, an internal matter of any state,” Lam said.

Lam said the US openly demonstrates double standards in handling national security issues. She referred to the draconian laws of the US to protect its national security.

The city’s first female leader said she, together with eight other Hong Kong officials sanctioned by the US, would be fearless.

“The more these overseas governments and politicians try to threaten us, the stronger we are in order to discharge our important role,” she said.

The National People’s Congress Standing Committee, China’s top legislature, unanimously passed the National Security Law for Hong Kong on June 30. Hours later, the HKSAR government promulgated it.

The law involves four major offenses — secession, subversion of state power, terrorism and conspiracy with foreign or external forces in Hong Kong, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment for violations.

But the city’s leader noted that enacting Article 23 of the Hong Kong Basic Law is still on her agenda, since there are more crimes relating to national security than the four under the National Security Law for Hong Kong.

The article stipulates that Hong Kong should enact its own laws in safeguarding national security. Without giving a firm timetable, Lam said that necessary groundwork is being done.

It is “very legitimate and basic” for Hong Kong to enact a national security law, HK Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah told China Daily.

“If I am sanctioned because I am doing my job, I think it shows that I am doing the right thing. It actually encourages me to continue to be stronger and do better at my job,” she said. 

Contact the writers at houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn