Hong Kong Photo: VCG
China firmly opposes any sanctions, and so-called concerns from some countries on the electoral system reform of Hong Kong are groundless and unreasonable, Yang Xiaoguang, Chinese Chargé d'Affaires Minister in the UK, said on Tuesday at an online press briefing in response to questions over China's decision to improve the electoral system of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
As China's top legislature deliberates on a draft decision to improve the electoral system of Hong Kong, some countries, including the UK and some others in Europe, have raised "concerns" about the plans and threatened more sanctions.
A spokesman for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that Britain is "deeply concerned" by China's proposals to change Hong Kong's electoral system, and urged "the Chinese authorities to uphold their commitments to the people of Hong Kong," according to reports.
Yang reiterated the world-shared principle of non-interference in each other's internal affairs at the conference and stressed that Hong Kong affairs are totally China's internal affairs. Such concerns, in whatever form, are basically a kind of intervention in China's internal affairs, and China will never accept that, Yang said.
Yang noted that China will not be afraid of any sanction and has the ability as well as the will to safeguard its national interests and dignity.
He also said at the conference to a BBC reporter that the reporter still had a misunderstanding of the Communist Party of China, when replying to the reporter's question "Why is the Chinese Communist Party so afraid of democracy in Hong Kong?"
"The Communist Party of China is not afraid of democracy in Hong Kong," Yang said, adding that "one country, two systems" is the best practice to ensure democracy and freedom in Hong Kong.
China opposes the destruction or the line-crossing activities of sabotaging the Hong Kong SAR and damaging national security and unity in the name of democracy, Yang stressed. Advocating Hong Kong's "independence" goes far beyond the bottom line and will not be tolerated.
He also noted at the conference that democracy does not mean saying or doing anything one wants, as the national interests and people's well-being need to be considered. China is determined to implement democracy and freedom in Hong Kong, but that democracy and freedom must be beneficial to Hong Kong's long-term stability and prosperity and to the interests of the Hong Kong people.