The central government and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government vigorously repudiated on Wednesday the smear and slander campaigns launched by some Western governments, institutions and politicians against the unanimous passage of the Article 23 legislation in the Legislative Council (LegCo) of the HKSAR, saying that slandering the highly anticipated law while turning a blind to the fact that many Western countries have enacted multiple national security laws is a typical example of political hegemony and double standards.
At least three central government's organs, including China's Foreign Ministry, the Commissioner's Office of China's Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR, the Chinese Embassy in the UK, along with the HKSAR government and Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung voiced strong dissatisfaction and opposition on Wednesday against the latest remarks from Western politicians on the Article 23 legislation.
In response to comments made by countries such as the US, the UK, Japan and the EU bloc, Lin Jian, spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry, said "We strongly deplore and firmly oppose individual countries and organizations' slandering and smear against the law."
The LegCo unanimously voted in favor of the passage of the bill, which further implements the SAR's constitutional responsibility of safeguarding national security, further cements the security foundation for Hong Kong's development and serves as a landmark in advancing the cause of One Country, Two Systems on our new journey in the new era, Lin noted.
On Tuesday, 89 lawmakers, after marathon meetings, passed the legislation in a unanimous vote. Lacking the law has been seen as predicament that has plagued Hong Kong for 26 years. Local lawmakers and officials described the passage as a historic moment for Hong Kong and they were proud of witnessing the moment.
Disregarding the overwhelming support in Hong Kong society for the law, some Western officials could not wait to "throw mud" at it, which is seen by some observers as similar tactics they used some four years ago to attack the National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron issued a statement following the passage of the law, claiming that the Article 23 legislation was "rushed through the legislative process and will damage the rule of law, autonomy, and the rights and freedoms enjoyed in Hong Kong."
A US State Department spokesperson said the bill could accelerate the closing of a once open society and it was analyzing the potential risks to US citizens and American interests, the Guardian reported on Tuesday.
The High Representative on behalf of the EU also expressed their "concerns" over the legislation, according to a statement on its website.
Those remarks reflect a "sour grapes" mentality among some Western countries, Louis Chen, a member of the Election Committee and general secretary of the Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
"Particularly, those politicians see that Hong Kong is closing the loopholes in national security, making it difficult for them to use the city as an entry point for subversive activities against the Chinese mainland," Chen said, noting that the more the West smears and attacks the legislation, the more it proves the urgency and necessity of it.
Rebut Western attacks
The whole legislative process of the LegCo was carried out in accordance with the procedures, including its deliberation, with lawmakers carefully reviewing the draft bill of the law, entitled the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, the HKSAR government said on Wednesday. It went through 25 meetings with nearly 50 hours of detailed deliberation during which lawmakers raised nearly 1,000 questions and comments, leading to 91 amendments.
India’s economy will become carbon neutral by the year 2070, the country’s prime minster has announced at the COP26 climate crisis summit in Glasgow. The target date is two decades beyond what scientists say is needed to avert catastrophic climate impacts. India is the last of the world’s major carbon polluters to announce a net-zero target, with China saying it would reach that goal in 2060, and the United States and the European Union aiming for 2050.
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
A crucial U.N. conference heard calls on its first day for the world's major economies to keep their promises of financial help to address the climate crisis, while big polluters India and Brazil made new commitments to cut emissions. World leaders, environmental experts and activists all pleaded for decisive action to halt the global warming which threatens the future of the planet at the start of the two-week COP26 summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Monday. The task facing negotiators was made even more daunting by the failure of the Group of 20 major industrial nations to agree ambitious new commitments at the weekend.