China’s Internal Affairs Cannot Be Interfered with; US House of Representatives Passes Hong Kong Act

On Oct. 15, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 2019 Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, requiring the U.S. government to “report annually to Congress as to whether Hong Kong is sufficiently autonomous from China to justify its unique treatment,” or whether it is necessary to sanction special administrative region government officials, etc. This so-called bill ignores the facts, confuses black and white, openly supports violent elements in Hong Kong, interferes with Hong Kong and Chinese domestic affairs and fully exposes the political plot of American anti-Chinese forces in their attempt to take advantage of Hong Kong in order to contain China's development.

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, so Hong Kong affairs are China's exclusive domestic business. No foreign power has the right to interfere. In the 22 years since the reunification of Hong Kong with China, policies such as "one country, two systems," "Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy have been effectively implemented. The rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents have been fully protected in accordance with the law, and Hong Kong's economic and social development remains prosperous and stable. This is an unbiased and objective reality recognized by many people. However, some members of the U.S. House of Representatives have openly violated the basic principles of international law and norms of international relations, completely ignored the basic facts, and claimed they were acting in the name of human rights and democracy in their hegemonic interference with China’s internal affairs and domestic laws. This is a serious provocation of the Chinese people and their Hong Kong compatriots, and reveals true "American bullying" and the two-faced nature of the U.S.

A number of facts prove that over the past four months, with the support of anti-Chinese forces in the United States, Hong Kong’s radical violent elements have used anti-revisionism as an excuse to deliberately disturb public order, destroy public facilities and violently attack police and innocent citizens everywhere. The fight is becoming increasingly fierce, and the nature of it is getting worse. The turmoil surrounding the amendments in Hong Kong has evolved into a Hong Kong version of the color revolution guided by the U.S. and Western external forces. Hong Kong is being pushed toward a dangerous abyss.

As for the violent and horrendous atrocities committed by the mob in Hong Kong, anti-Chinese politicians in the United States have not condemned them, and instead have romanticized their actions and supported them. Politicians such as Burns,* Mike Pompeo and Nancy Pelosi have repeatedly met with high-profile members of the “anti-China" faction, cheered them on, endorsed them and fueled the chaos in Hong Kong. A few days ago, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz also addressed Hong Kong with bold words, slandered the legitimate law enforcement of the Hong Kong police force as engaging in violent suppression, and romanticized the mobs as "democracy protesters standing up for human rights." Now, the House of Representatives has issued a more serious signal to Hong Kong’s violent elements via the so-called Hong Kong Democracy Act. This series of hegemonic, despicable and ugly acts has made the world more aware of how ignorant anti-Chinese forces are about the security and well-being of the people of Hong Kong and the political plot to use Hong Kong to contain China.

This bill is also harmful to others. There are more than 80,000 United States citizens living in Hong Kong, more than 1,300 companies and a significant amount of investment. If Hong Kong's prosperity and stability are impacted, the result will not only harm China's interests, but also harm the interests of the United States. This is surely lifting a stone only to drop it on your own foot. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong recently stated that Hong Kong’s violent demonstrations over the past several months have negatively affected many U.S. companies in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act may undermine Hong Kong’s unique special administrative region status and create unexpected public backlash in the United States. This clearly demonstrates that the act is unpopular.

Currently, the general public in Hong Kong supports fighting against violence and for the restoration of order. A resounding “no” can be heard regarding U.S. interference. Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong. All Chinese people, including Hong Kong compatriots, will resolutely and forcefully oppose the U.S. plan to suppress China by way of Hong Kong.

We advise Congress to quickly withdraw this black hand reaching out to Hong Kong, immediately terminate the follow-up review process in the relevant bill, and to stop interfering in China's internal affairs. This interference not only undermines China-U.S. relations, but also underestimates China's dedication to its defense of national sovereignty and security, the development of its national interests and the firm determination to maintain Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.

*Editor’s note: The author is believed to be referring to R. Nicholas Burns, a professor at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and former American diplomat.