In a response to the joint-statement, the Foreign Ministry’s Hong Kong office said the remarks were unwarranted and made under the pretext of democracy and freedom. “We urge external forces to abide by international law and basic norms governing international relations, and immediately stop meddling with Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs as a whole,” a spokesperson of the office said. It added efforts made by foreign forces that “openly meddled with Hong Kong affairs” are “doomed to be futile.”"Their latest statements and reports distorted the truth and applied double standards in a bid to endorse anti-China troublemakers in Hong Kong. But it only lays bare their ulterior motive to wish Hong Kong ill and use Hong Kong as a pawn to hold back China's development at large." The National People’s Congress (NPC) approved the resolution regarding electoral changes in Hong Kong, which will grant the Election Committee which previously selects Chief Executive new powers to pick lawmakers and increase seats in the legislature from 70 to 90.

Source: The Standard March 13, 2021 08:01 UTC