China calls European Parliament's Hong Kong resolutions 'publicity
stunt'
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[June 16, 2023]
By Farah Master
HONG KONG (Reuters) -China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong
said resolutions passed by the European Parliament on Thursday related
to the Chinese controlled territory were a "despicable act" and
"trampled" on the principles of international law.
The European Parliament's resolution titled "The deterioration of
fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong, notably the case of Jimmy Lai" urged
Hong Kong's government to release and drop charges against the
pro-democracy tycoon and other activists.
It also called for the European Council to introduce "targeted
sanctions" against city leader John Lee and other officials "responsible
for the ongoing crackdown on human rights in Hong Kong". It did not
elaborate on what the sanctions should be.
The United States sanctioned Lee in 2020 for what they said was his role
in cracking down on political freedoms in the city after Beijing imposed
a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong in June that year.
The law punishes secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with
foreign forces with up to life in prison.
China said the resolution, which was adopted with 483 votes in favour, 9
against and 42 abstentions, was "doomed to fail".
Politicians in the European parliament "do not take the national economy
and people's livelihood as their own responsibility but instead use the
Hong Kong issue as a publicity stunt under the guise of 'human rights',
'democracy' and 'freedom'", the Foreign Ministry's commissioner office
said in a statement.
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An attendant walks past EU and China
flags ahead of the EU-China High-level Economic Dialogue at
Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China June 25, 2018.
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"The political drama of a few foreign politicians will not shake the
firm determination ... to govern Hong Kong according to the law and
punish crimes," it said, adding that the Parliament was "covering up
and beautifying criminals".
Government officials in Beijing and Hong Kong say that the law only
targets a small number of "troublemakers" who threaten national
security and that the rights and freedoms of ordinary Hong Kong
people are protected.
The European Parliament said in the resolution that "fundamental
freedoms, the rule of law and the judiciary's independence have
alarmingly deteriorated in Hong Kong" since the implementation of
the National Security Law.
Lai, who is in prison, is facing four charges under the security law
and a colonial era sedition law. He has said he would plead not
guilty at his trial, scheduled to begin in September.
Lai's son Sebastien said the European Parliament's resolution sent a
"powerful message to Hong Kong that the targeting and imprisonment
of my father and other prominent pro-democracy figures, in an
attempt to silence them, is not going unnoticed by the international
community".
(Reporting by Farah Master; Additional reporting by Jessie Pang,
Anne Marie Roantree and the Beijing newsroom; Editing by Gerry
Doyle)
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