China blasts UK, US for condemning HK activist bounties

FE Team | Published: December 15, 2023 23:52:38

China's foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning

BEIJING, Dec 15 (AFP): China lashed out at Britain and the United States Friday after they condemned Hong Kong police for offering bounties for information leading to the capture of five overseas activists.
Hong Kong authorities said Thursday that the five, who fled the city after Beijing imposed a national security law in 2020, would be pursued "till the end" and offered HK$1,000,000 ($128,000) bounties for help catching them.
The move was strongly condemned by Washington, while London called it "a threat to our democracy and fundamental human rights". But China said Friday that the Hong Kong police force's desire to arrest the activists was "necessary and legitimate" on national security grounds and was in line with international law.
"The national security laws of other countries, including the United States and Britain, also have extraterritorial effects," said Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning at a regular press briefing.
"By cheering on these anti-China individuals that are bringing havoc to Hong Kong, the United States and Britain are exposing their malicious intentions in messing up Hong Kong," Mao added.
UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron had said he instructed British officials in Hong Kong, Beijing and London to "raise this issue as a matter of urgency".
And US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said "advocates for democracy and freedom will continue to enjoy their constitutionally guaranteed freedoms" in the United States. Mao said China was "strongly dissatisfied" with what she characterised as "interference" in Hong Kong's legal system.
"Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong. Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs, and we will not allow any external forces to interfere," she added.