Editor's note: The article was first published by Xinhua News on July 23, 2019. The article does not necessarily reflect the views of CGTN.

A series of violent incidents recently staged by a number of radicals in Hong Kong have disrupted the city's social order and stained its rule-of-law reputation.

The act, openly challenging the authority of the Chinese central government, is in blatant defiance of the bottom line of "One Country, Two Systems." All Chinese, Hong Kong citizens included, are outraged by such behavior.

Some American and British politicians, however, have jumped in and made thinly veiled attempts to meddle in Hong Kong affairs in the name of freedom and democracy. Their evil intention to wantonly interfere in China's internal affairs is once again being laid bare.

From storming and vandalizing Hong Kong's legislative council building, laying siege to police headquarters, brutally battering and hurting police officers and hoarding legally prohibited dangerous objects and offensive weapons, to storming the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, smearing the national emblem and spraying anti-China graffiti, such escalating aggressive behaviors of a small number of extremists have jeopardized the well-being of the seven million Hong Kong population, and more broadly, hurt the feelings of all Chinese people.

Every government has the indisputable bounden duty to condemn violence, tackle crimes, defend the rule of law and maintain social order and stability.

As the Hong Kong society calls for an end to violence and the Hong Kong government takes all due measures to maintain social order, American and British politicians are busy making ridiculous remarks, such as "urging the Hong Kong government to respect the freedoms of speech and assembly." 

Totally disregarding the facts, they even "warn" the Hong Kong SAR government that violence and vandalism are not "the excuse for repression."

As the saying goes, a leopard cannot change its spots. Till this day, these two Western powers are still playing God and applying double standards everywhere.

Here, we intend to ask the U.S. and UK governments a few questions: Would the two governments turn a blind eye to violence against their Congress and Parliament? Are democracy and freedom supposed to be achieved through violence? Is it acceptable to flagrantly challenge the Constitution and breach the law?

The two countries, rather than condemning violence and crimes, hypocritically claim the moral high ground and make irresponsible comments on Hong Kong affairs. People cannot help wondering what kind of ulterior motive they harbor.

Recent reports from some Hong Kong and overseas media show clear signs of foreign manipulation, plotting and even organization in the relevant violent incidents.

Overtly expressing absurd opinions and covertly interfering in China's internal affairs, what exactly are they after? With the veneer of so-called "upholding justice," they hide nothing but those dirty little tricks behind.

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China and therefore, Hong Kong's affairs are totally China's domestic issues. 

The Chinese government and people will by no means tolerate interference from any foreign government, organization or individual, let alone external forces aiming to disturb stability in Hong Kong.

We urge the U.S. and the UK to avoid applying double standards, stop sending out any wrong signal on illegal acts of violence, put an immediate end to its political smear campaign against the "One Country, Two Systems" policy, and give up their sinister plots in Hong Kong as soon as possible.

(Cover: An aerial view of the scenery in Hong Kong, June 19, 2016. /Xinhua News Agency)

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