The Hong Kong government has strongly condemned some US senators for smearing the city’s national security laws after they submitted a resolution accusing Beijing of destroying the financial hub’s autonomy and credibility as an international business centre.
Authorities on Thursday night called the resolution put forward by Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen, chairman and ranking member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee respectively, “baseless” and “despicable”.
“The US politicians have repeated their tactics and breached the international law and the basic norms underpinning international relations, and wantonly interfering with Hong Kong matters by passing the so-called resolution, which is a despicable political manipulation,” a spokesman for the Hong Kong government said.
“The government strongly condemns its political grandstanding rife with ill intentions, which have been seen through by all.”
He urged the US to stop undermining Hong Kong’s international reputation and interfering in the city’s matters.
The resolution was submitted to the US Congress a day after Hong Kong’s finance chief announced the city’s budget.
The resolution accused Beijing of destroying Hong Kong’s autonomy through the 2020 national security law and also said the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance gave authorities “sweeping power to criminalise the activities of individuals and businesses”.
