Iran Press/ Europe: In a statement, the foreign ministers of the U.S., United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan reiterated their “grave concern” over the law, which was approved by China’s legislature last month and would allow Chinese intelligence and security forces to be based inside the district for the first time, and seeks to address terrorism, secession and foreign interference in the city, according to Washington Post.
“China’s decision is not in conformity with the Hong Kong Basic Law and its international commitments under the principles of the legally binding, UN-registered Sino-British Joint Declaration,” the group wrote.
Critics of the legislation say it does not align with the 1997 Joint Declaration between Britain and China that bound Beijing’s communist rulers to respect Hong Kong’s autonomy as a special administrative region and to leave its liberal economy and government for 50 years under the formulation “one country, two systems.”
“The proposed national security law would risk seriously undermining the “One Country, Two Systems” principle and the territory’s high degree of autonomy,” the foreign ministers wrote.
They called for an open-debate and consultation with the parties involved in the decision and urged China to reconsider imposing the law.
“It would jeopardize the system which has allowed Hong Kong to flourish and made it a success over many years.”
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