Ambassador Ma Publishes Article Titled Hong Kong Issue on Sudan Vision
2019-08-25 18:39
On August 25th, Chinese Ambassador to Sudan Ma Xinmin publishes an signature article titled What's the Real Intention Behind Violence Incited in Hong Kong for the China Focus Column on Sudan Vision. The full text is as follows:
Since June this year, a string of protests has taken place in Hong Kong, a city crowned as the "Pearl of the Orient", but later escalated into violent incidents, arousing high concern of the international community. The unrest has gone far beyond the scope of freedom of expression and peaceful protest and is in essence a plot in which the dark hand of American and other forces behind the superficial radical movement carried out by anti-China forces, attempts to subvert China and disrupt Hong Kong.
The purpose of violent incidents incited in Hong Kong is to make a mess of Hong Kong and undermine "one country, two systems". The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) proposed an amendment to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance early this year, which is essentially a reasonable and legitimate act to improve the legislation but is willfully distorted and demonized by anti-China forces with ulterior motives. The amendment to the two ordinances was proposed because of a homicide case, in which the Hong Kong authorities were unable to bring a murder charge in Hong Kong against a Hong Kong resident named Chen Tongjia accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend in February 2018 in Taiwan before fleeing back to Hong Kong, because there is no extradition agreement between Hong Kong and Taiwan, despite the fact that the homicide case took place in Taiwan. In April 2019, the Hong Kong court ruling that sentenced him to mere 29 months' imprisonment for much lighter crimes of larceny and money laundering caused strong dissatisfaction from the victim's family and Hong Kong society. To avoid impunity and respond to the call of the people, the HKSAR government proposed to amend the abovesaid two ordinances to plug a legal loophole attributed to a lack of extradition arrangements between Hong Kong and mangy other places of China and prevent Hong Kong from becoming a "haven for fugitives". However, a handful of anti-China forces with ulterior motives take advantage of misgivings of Hong Kong residents about the laws of the mainland to spread rumors and instigate protests to block the amendment bill. It is outrageous that instead of stopping their incitement after the HKSAR government has publicly announced in June this year the suspension of amendments to the ordinances, these anti-China forces continue to escalate the unrest by inciting radicals to deface the national emblem, fling the national flag, vandalize the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, and attack the Legislative Council complex and police headquarters of Hong Kong, challenging the bottom line of "one country, two systems".
The excuse of opposition to the amendments used by a handful of anti-China forces is actually an attempt to challenge China's sovereignty over Hong Kong. Over the past 22 years since Hong Kong's handover on July 1, 1997 when China resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong, Hong Kong has made enormous achievements under the "one country, two systems" policy and managed to maintain its prosperity and stability, ranked as the freest economy for over twenty consecutive years and maintaining its vital status as an international financial and trade center and an international shipping hub. The anti-China forces are unwilling to see the great success achieved in Hong Kong under the "one country, two systems", and the ultimate purpose of the violent incidents orchestrated by them under the cover of opposition to the amendment bill is to disrupt Hong Kong and undermine the "one country, two systems".
Another purpose of violent incidents incited in Hong Kong is to contain China's development. American and other external powers have played a very disgraceful role in the escalation of recent violent incidents in Hong Kong. Politicians like US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed overtly for several times their support for practices of Hong Kong rioters, and US Vice President Pence, US Secretary of State Pompeo and an official of the US Consulate General in Hong Kong egregiously met several advocates of Hong Kong independence, offering them advice, financial support and shelter. Meanwhile, some western media including "Twitter" and "Facebook" provided fuel and confounded white with black by distorting the legitimate law enforcement measures adopted by police officers to uphold law and maintain the public order as "violent repression", having the violent behaviors of rioters whitewashed and called the "struggle for human rights and freedom" and labeling remarks of Chinese citizens to uphold justice as actions taken under the pressure of the central government. Such media also blocked a large number of social media accounts owned by users from the Chinese mainland, claiming that they spread "false information". In fact, the content posted by these deactivated accounts that show "rioters" attacking police officers, disrupting the public transportation and beating up a journalist, has already been exposed by other media. It is obvious that African and other forces are seizing every single opportunity and utilizing various resources to maliciously make a mess of Hong Kong and ultimately contain or suppress the rise of China. As recently commented by the spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Hong Kong issue, western countries are resorting to all means to set back China's development.
Behaviors of the rioters in Hong Kong violent incidents seriously violate the Basic Law of the HKSAR and constitute severe offences. The rule of law has long been the core value that Hong Kong people take pride in and the cornerstone for Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. Effectively safeguarding the rule of law in Hong Kong is not only the aspiration of Hong Kongers and other Chinese people but also serves the interests of other countries. The behaviors of defacing the national flag and the national emblem by a handful of anti-China forces contravene the Basic Law of the HKSAR and the Law of the People's Republic of China on the National Flag and the Law of the People's Republic of China on the National Emblem that apply in Hong Kong. The overt disruptive acts of the anti-China forces to commit arson, block roads, paralyze the airport and subway stations, and even attack police officers with petrol bombs, bite off the police officer's finger and assault a journalist, have caused injuries to 461 persons, including 139 police officers, and are completely criminal offences in violation of the criminal law, seriously shaking the foundation of the rule of law in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is part of China, and China's internal affairs brook no interference from any foreign country. With unwavering determination to uphold the "one country, two systems" and the Basic Law of the HKSAR, China will never tolerate any activity that undermines the national sovereignty or security, challenges the authority of the central government or the Basic Law of the HKSAR, or uses Hong Kong for infiltration or sabotage against the Chinese mainland. Any attempt to disrupt Hong Kong and make use of Hong Kong to contain China's development is doomed to fail, and any offenders will be held accountable in the end. There is no doubt that under the support of the central government and with the cooperation and assistance of the vast number of Hong Kong people, patriots and people who love Hong Kong, the great efforts made by the HKSAR government will surely help Hong Kong get back on the right track for rule of law and stability.
The purpose of violent incidents incited in Hong Kong is to make a mess of Hong Kong and undermine "one country, two systems". The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) proposed an amendment to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance early this year, which is essentially a reasonable and legitimate act to improve the legislation but is willfully distorted and demonized by anti-China forces with ulterior motives. The amendment to the two ordinances was proposed because of a homicide case, in which the Hong Kong authorities were unable to bring a murder charge in Hong Kong against a Hong Kong resident named Chen Tongjia accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend in February 2018 in Taiwan before fleeing back to Hong Kong, because there is no extradition agreement between Hong Kong and Taiwan, despite the fact that the homicide case took place in Taiwan. In April 2019, the Hong Kong court ruling that sentenced him to mere 29 months' imprisonment for much lighter crimes of larceny and money laundering caused strong dissatisfaction from the victim's family and Hong Kong society. To avoid impunity and respond to the call of the people, the HKSAR government proposed to amend the abovesaid two ordinances to plug a legal loophole attributed to a lack of extradition arrangements between Hong Kong and mangy other places of China and prevent Hong Kong from becoming a "haven for fugitives". However, a handful of anti-China forces with ulterior motives take advantage of misgivings of Hong Kong residents about the laws of the mainland to spread rumors and instigate protests to block the amendment bill. It is outrageous that instead of stopping their incitement after the HKSAR government has publicly announced in June this year the suspension of amendments to the ordinances, these anti-China forces continue to escalate the unrest by inciting radicals to deface the national emblem, fling the national flag, vandalize the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, and attack the Legislative Council complex and police headquarters of Hong Kong, challenging the bottom line of "one country, two systems".
The excuse of opposition to the amendments used by a handful of anti-China forces is actually an attempt to challenge China's sovereignty over Hong Kong. Over the past 22 years since Hong Kong's handover on July 1, 1997 when China resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong, Hong Kong has made enormous achievements under the "one country, two systems" policy and managed to maintain its prosperity and stability, ranked as the freest economy for over twenty consecutive years and maintaining its vital status as an international financial and trade center and an international shipping hub. The anti-China forces are unwilling to see the great success achieved in Hong Kong under the "one country, two systems", and the ultimate purpose of the violent incidents orchestrated by them under the cover of opposition to the amendment bill is to disrupt Hong Kong and undermine the "one country, two systems".
Another purpose of violent incidents incited in Hong Kong is to contain China's development. American and other external powers have played a very disgraceful role in the escalation of recent violent incidents in Hong Kong. Politicians like US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed overtly for several times their support for practices of Hong Kong rioters, and US Vice President Pence, US Secretary of State Pompeo and an official of the US Consulate General in Hong Kong egregiously met several advocates of Hong Kong independence, offering them advice, financial support and shelter. Meanwhile, some western media including "Twitter" and "Facebook" provided fuel and confounded white with black by distorting the legitimate law enforcement measures adopted by police officers to uphold law and maintain the public order as "violent repression", having the violent behaviors of rioters whitewashed and called the "struggle for human rights and freedom" and labeling remarks of Chinese citizens to uphold justice as actions taken under the pressure of the central government. Such media also blocked a large number of social media accounts owned by users from the Chinese mainland, claiming that they spread "false information". In fact, the content posted by these deactivated accounts that show "rioters" attacking police officers, disrupting the public transportation and beating up a journalist, has already been exposed by other media. It is obvious that African and other forces are seizing every single opportunity and utilizing various resources to maliciously make a mess of Hong Kong and ultimately contain or suppress the rise of China. As recently commented by the spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Hong Kong issue, western countries are resorting to all means to set back China's development.
Behaviors of the rioters in Hong Kong violent incidents seriously violate the Basic Law of the HKSAR and constitute severe offences. The rule of law has long been the core value that Hong Kong people take pride in and the cornerstone for Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. Effectively safeguarding the rule of law in Hong Kong is not only the aspiration of Hong Kongers and other Chinese people but also serves the interests of other countries. The behaviors of defacing the national flag and the national emblem by a handful of anti-China forces contravene the Basic Law of the HKSAR and the Law of the People's Republic of China on the National Flag and the Law of the People's Republic of China on the National Emblem that apply in Hong Kong. The overt disruptive acts of the anti-China forces to commit arson, block roads, paralyze the airport and subway stations, and even attack police officers with petrol bombs, bite off the police officer's finger and assault a journalist, have caused injuries to 461 persons, including 139 police officers, and are completely criminal offences in violation of the criminal law, seriously shaking the foundation of the rule of law in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is part of China, and China's internal affairs brook no interference from any foreign country. With unwavering determination to uphold the "one country, two systems" and the Basic Law of the HKSAR, China will never tolerate any activity that undermines the national sovereignty or security, challenges the authority of the central government or the Basic Law of the HKSAR, or uses Hong Kong for infiltration or sabotage against the Chinese mainland. Any attempt to disrupt Hong Kong and make use of Hong Kong to contain China's development is doomed to fail, and any offenders will be held accountable in the end. There is no doubt that under the support of the central government and with the cooperation and assistance of the vast number of Hong Kong people, patriots and people who love Hong Kong, the great efforts made by the HKSAR government will surely help Hong Kong get back on the right track for rule of law and stability.