Hong Kong government lashes out at foreign critics of lawmakers’ disqualification, accusing them of sowing division between city and mainland

Government says ‘foreign political figures’ are applying ‘double standards’ to Hong Kong, maintaining their countries would have done the same

In separate response to city’s Law Society, government insists Beijing’s resolution on disqualifications reinforces ‘one country, two systems’

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The Hong Kong government has said critics of the recent ousting of four opposition lawmakers are applying ‘double standards’. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 6:22pm, 14 Nov 2020Updated: 11:21pm, 14 Nov 2020

The Hong Kong government has hit back at foreign countries critical of Beijing’s recent move to disqualify four local opposition lawmakers, accusing them of applying “double standards” with the aim of sabotaging the relationship between the mainland and the city.

In a strongly worded statement, a government spokesman “vehemently condemned groundless accusations” by the foreign governments and maintained that they, too, required their officials to swear allegiance to their nations, breaches of which would not be tolerated.

“By criticising resolute actions of the [central government] and [the Hong Kong] government to disqualify four [Legislative Council] members who have been confirmed in accordance with the law to have breached the statutory requirements in their oath, those foreign political figures are clearly applying double standards,” the spokesman said.

The government did not call out any countries by name, although it cited Congress members in the United States and members of parliament in Britain as examples to illustrate its point, maintaining that no country would turn a blind eye to the breaching of oaths or acts of treason by legislators.

The accusations levelled against the Hong Kong government and Beijing, the spokesman said, were “politically motivated with the ulterior motive to undermine the relationship between the central authorities and the [Hong Kong Special Administrative Region] under one country, two systems”, the principle that promises the city a high degree of autonomy.