Hong Kong government slams US senators over resolution on city’s autonomy

The Hong Kong government has strongly condemned some US senators for smearing the city’s national security laws after they submitted a resolution accusing the Chinese government of destroying the city’s autonomy and credibility as an international business centre.

The government on Thursday night called the resolution put forward by Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen, chairman and ranking member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee respectively, “baseless” and “despicable”.

“The US politicians have repeated their tactics and breached the international law and the basic norms underpinning international relations, and wantonly interfering with Hong Kong matters by passing the so-called resolution, which is a despicable political manipulation,” a spokesman for the Hong Kong government said.

“The government strongly condemns its political grandstanding rife with ill intentions, which have been seen through by all,” he added, urging the US to stop undermining Hong Kong’s international reputation and interfering in the city’s matters.

The US resolution was submitted to Congress by the senators a day after Hong Kong’s finance chief had announced the city’s budget.

The resolution accused the Chinese government of destroying Hong Kong’s autonomy through the 2020 national security law, and also criticised Article 23, the city’s domestically-enacted security law, for giving authorities “sweeping power to criminalise the activities of individuals and businesses”.