Question: With regard to the remarks of the UK side at the Munich Security Conference on February 19th that the UK side has “consistently spoken out against China’s repression of the Uighur people in Xinjiang Province, and will continue to do so”, that the UK has “introduced new measures to ensure that the supply chains of UK companies are not tainted by the violations in Xinjiang”, and that “after China broke a treaty and imposed a repressive national security law in Hong Kong, the UK offered nearly 3 million of the territories’ people, a route to British citizenship”, what is the comment of the Chinese Embassy in the UK?

Embassy Spokesperson: The Chinese side expresses grave concern over and firm opposition to the UK side’s remarks, which shows no respect for facts, confuses right and wrong, and constitutes unwarranted interference in China’s internal affairs. We have lodged solemn representations to the UK side, time and again, about its wrong remarks on Xinjiang and Hong Kong. I want to emphasize, once again, the following:

First, the so-called “repression of the Uygur people” is a sheer “lie of the century” concocted by anti-China forces in the West. Xinjiang is now witnessing social stability, economic prosperity, unity of all ethnic groups, harmonious co-existence between different religions, cultural development and better life for the people. People of all ethnic groups in the region enjoy extensive rights and freedoms in accordance with law. In 2019, more than 200 million tourists visited Xinjiang. In the past 40-plus years, the population of Uygurs in Xinjiang has doubled.

The measures taken by the UK side on the relevant companies on the basis of absurd lies severely violate the basic norms governing international relations, breach the rules in international trade, and undermine the principles of market economy. They are harmful to the interests of relevant companies and consumers from all the countries concerned, including the UK. The Chinese side will take necessary measures in accordance with law to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.

Second, it is completely groundless to say that the National Security Law for the Hong Kong SAR “broke a treaty”. The National Security Law for the Hong Kong SAR was enacted to plug the legal loophole and to establish a sound legal framework and enforcement mechanism for safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong SAR. The law ensures the comprehensive and accurate implementation of “One Country, Two Systems” and provides effective safeguards for the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong citizens. The enacting of this law marks a turning point in Hong Kong from chaos to law and order, unleashes the tremendous vitality of “One Country, Two Systems”, and provides better safeguards for the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong citizens.

What needs to be pointed out is that in an MOU exchanged between China and the UK, the latter explicitly pledges that BNO passport holders who are Chinese citizens residing in Hong Kong shall not have the right of abode in the UK. In spite of this, the UK is now bent on changing the relevant arrangement unilaterally. This obviously goes against the UK’s own pledges and violates the basic norms governing international relations. The Chinese side has taken counter-measures and reserves the right to take further steps.

Third, both Xinjiang and the Hong Kong SAR are part of China. Xinjiang- and Hong Kong-related affairs are purely China’s internal affairs and brook no external interference in any form. The Chinese Government remains unwavering in its determination to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests, and to oppose any external interference. We urge the UK side to recognize and respect the facts and immediately stop interfering in China’s internal affairs. Such interference will only be self-defeating.