Staunch support voiced for HK's justice department chief

The motherland is a staunch supporter of Hong Kong, said China's Ambassador to the United Kingdom Liu Xiaoming during a meeting with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's secretary for justice, Teresa Cheng, in London on Wednesday.

Cheng was injured earlier this month and treated in hospital after being mobbed in the street in the British capital by suspected anti－China activists who were seeking to disrupt order in Hong Kong.

During the meeting between Liu and Cheng, the ambassador conveyed the concern of the leaders of the central government and conveyed their best wishes for a speedy recovery. Cheng expressed her appreciation for their care and support, and thanked the Chinese embassy in the United Kingdom for its assistance.

She said she planned to explain the current Hong Kong situation to British friends and to the wider international community while in the UK.

The secretary said she did not expect that anti-China, pro-independence activists would besiege and attack her while in the UK, pushing her to the ground and leaving her with a fracture in her hand.

She said the incident revealed the lengths the activists were willing to go to in terms of the use of violence and intimidation, but she said they will never be successful.

The Hong Kong official noted that some Western media had published distorted reports about the attack.

Liu said the assault on Cheng shows that activists are taking violence abroad and into the UK, and he said the black masks they wore could not conceal their sinister intentions.

There is no way that these people could be called "peaceful demonstrators" or "pro-democracy protesters", as claimed by Western politicians and media, Liu said.

The diplomat added that he hopes the violence will end soon and order will be restored in Hong Kong and that the special administrative region will be able to seize opportunities offered by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative.

We hope the "oriental pearl" will once again shine brightly, he added.

Cheng said Hong Kong has been through some ups and downs but is highly resilient.

She believes that, with the staunch backing of the motherland and the strong support of the central government, Hong Kong will overcome the current difficulties and embrace a more beautiful future.

Cheng said she and the SAR government will continue to make relentless efforts in this regard.