Beijing has hit out at the US consulate in Hong Kong for “slandering” the local state of democracy by suggesting a recent United Nation’s review showed the central government was violating human rights in the city.
The local commissioner’s office of the foreign ministry on Saturday condemned the consulate for adopting the “delusion of using Hong Kong to suppress China”, arguing local residents instead were best positioned to comment on the state of human rights and democracy.
“The United States’ consulate general in Hong Kong has disregarded its country’s chaos and abysmal record in human rights abuses, ignored the state of development in [Hong Kong] and the international consensus, and violated the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations to disparage Hong Kong, blatantly revealing its shady mentality that cannot bear to see Hong Kong doing well,” a spokesman for the office said.
The office was referring to a post published on the consulate’s account on X on Friday, which said the UN Human Rights Council’s review showed Beijing’s violation of human rights in the city.
The working group on the Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council examined a report submitted by mainland China in January and subsequently adopted a review report earlier this month, which covered 428 recommendations raised by UN member states, including 24 related to Hong Kong.
“[The review] showed Beijing broke promises to people in Hong Kong when they took away [Hong Kong’s] autonomy and democratic institutions. National Security Law, Article 23 legislation and politically motivated prosecutions contravene Basic Law, Sino-UK Joint Declaration and [International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights] obligations,” the post said.
The post was made as US Undersecretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights Uzra Zeya accused China of rejecting many recommendations, including those from the US, at the UN peer review on human rights.
Hong Kong No 2 official Eric Chan Kwok-ki attended the UN meeting on the review report on China earlier this month as the deputy head of the national delegation. At the meeting, Chan said the city’s domestic national security law would allow residents to enjoy freedom while pursuing a peaceful and prosperous life.
Hong Kong passed the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance in March, mandated by Article 23 of the city’s mini-constitution, spanning 39 offences divided into five categories: treason; insurrection, incitement to mutiny and disaffection, and acts with seditious intention; sabotage; external interference; and theft of state secrets and espionage.
The recommendations on Hong Kong laid out in the review report adopted by the UN included calls to repeal the two national security laws and to discontinue cases against people charged with “exercising their human rights and freedoms”.
The report also asked for the release of “writers, bloggers, journalists, human rights defenders and others arbitrarily detained for exercising their right to freedom of expression, and guarantee this right, including in Hong Kong”.
