The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday firmly rejected and strongly condemned the misleading comments of the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) countries and the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Their comments smeared the HKSAR's sixth-term chief executive election, the Chinese central government's policies towards Hong Kong, and Hong Kong's new electoral system, said a spokesperson for the office.
The spokesperson pointed out that John Lee's winning of the HKSAR's six-term chief executive election by an overwhelming majority of votes fully reflected the great support for him by Hong Kong society.
This successful election showed the new atmosphere under the new electoral system, displayed an upbeat mood of Hong Kong seeking unity and progress, and once again demonstrated the superiority of the new electoral system, the spokesperson said.
Noting that more than 1,400 representatives, elected by various sectors, cast their votes in the election, and they widely represented different industries and interest groups, the spokesperson said the election is a whole-process democratic practice that fits Hong Kong's reality and features Hong Kong characteristics.
The spokesperson said that the new electoral system of the HKSAR fully and faithfully implements the policy of "one country, two systems" and the HKSAR Basic Law, enforces the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong," and develops quality democracy with Hong Kong characteristics.
The spokesperson pointed out that the so-called "democratic elections" in some Western countries are essentially "elite" elections and political shows in which money talks.
These countries only care about the election cycle, political party interests, and group interests, the spokesperson said.
"They know how to look good during campaigning but fail to govern effectively after being elected," the spokesperson said. "They don't have in mind the fundamental and long-term interests of their people, which usually result in short-sighted policies and inefficient governance."
Ignoring the structural deficiencies of their own democratic system and claiming to be "models of democracy," these pretentious countries are obsessed with pointing a finger at the democracy and human rights situation of others, and engaging in "wolf-pack tactics" to interfere in others' internal affairs, according to the spokesperson.
"We fully believe the patriotic governance team elected under the new electoral system will unite and lead all sectors of Hong Kong society to open a new chapter for the city, and Hong Kong will certainly embrace new glory at a new starting point," the spokesperson said.
"Any attempt to undermine Hong Kong's prosperity and stability will be in vain," the spokesperson stressed.
The office urged the G7 politicians to respect the historical trend, abide by the principles of international law such as non-interference in others' internal affairs and the basic norms governing international relations, discard ideological prejudices and hypocrisy, stop interfering in China's internal affairs including Hong Kong affairs in any form, and no longer damage Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.
