Commissioner's office condemns remarks by anti-China US senator on Hong Kong as 'hysterical nonsense'

Marco Rubio, an anti-China US senator, alleged that "Communist Party of China used organized crime groups to attack protestors in Hong Kong" and that "they are violating everything they agreed in Hong Kong handover". The spokesperson of the Office of the Commissioner of the Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR sternly denounced the remarks as absolute nonsense, and condemned such hysterical smears of and attacks on China out of ulterior motives.

The spokesperson said that Marco Rubio and some other politicians have a record of maliciously attacking China and confusing right and wrong without any moral sense. The recent attempt by Rubio to fabricate lies and drive a wedge between Hong Kong and the mainland for the sake of his own political interests has again exposed his despicable motives.

The spokesperson pointed out that to some American politicians, only violence in their countries counts as violence, while violence in other countries and regions is a matter of human rights and freedom; only those who attack the police and endanger social order in their countries are rioters, while those damaging public property, storming government institutions and even assaulting the police elsewhere are "human rights and freedom fighters". Such hypocritical and ridiculous application of double standards defiles and tramples upon the rule of law, and abets violent offenders.

The spokesperson stated that since the return of Hong Kong, China's Central Government has been committed to the principles of "One Country, Two Systems", "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy in the HKSAR in strict accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law, and safeguarded "One Country, Two Systems" and the Basic Law. As a result, Hong Kong has maintained its prosperity and stability, and its people now enjoy unprecedentedly extensive rights and freedoms in accordance with law. These are rock-solid facts that can in no way be changed by smear attempts of Rubio and others.

The spokesperson emphasized that Hong Kong is part of China, and its affairs are completely China's domestic affairs. We will never allow any country, organization or individual to interfere in Hong Kong affairs and China's domestic affairs, and will never tolerate any efforts to undermine our national sovereignty and security and Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. We strongly urge Rubio and others to immediately stop shameful attempts to stir up trouble in Hong Kong and China as a whole.