China said the comments made by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini confuses right and wrong, and is an example of interfering in China's internal affairs, a spokesperson for the Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said in a statement on Saturday.
The spokesperson said the Hong Kong police had elaborated on their operations of arrests, which were based on evidence and in accordance with the laws.
The EU official expressing "concern" over the operations is to obstruct the enforcement of law by the police, tolerate illegal and violent acts, disturb the rule of law and recklessly meddle in Hong Kong affairs, the statement said.
Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on Friday called the detention of three Hong Kong activists "extremely worrying" and urged the HKSAR government to respect the freedom of expression and assembly of the Hong Kong people.
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"So you would feel relieved if the lawbreakers were not held accountable and continued to harm Hong Kong?" the spokesperson asked.
"The current problem in Hong Kong is by no means about the so-called human rights, freedom or democracy, but whether to uphold the rule of law and whether to fight against crimes in accordance with law," the spokesperson added.
The "freedom" of a small number of people to disregard the rule of law is depriving the majority of people of their freedom to work and live normally under the law, the spokesperson stressed.
Instead of denouncing those violent protesters' radical acts, some EU politicians, on the other hand, hindered the efforts the HKSAR government has made to stop the violence and chaos and resume orders, said the spokesperson.
Noting that Hong Kong is at a critical moment of whether to resume the rule of law or to "slide into a bottomless abyss," the spokesperson urged the EU to distinguish right from wrong and stop supporting the lawbreakers.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition against remarks by some U.S. politicians.
It is reported that the U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Representative Jim McGovern, and a White House official have criticized the recent arrests by the Hong Kong police, painting the perpetrators as mere "dissenters," urging the HKSAR government to immediately drop the charges and threatening with a bill on Hong Kong, the spokesperson said.
In response, the spokesperson said that the remarks have distorted the truth, condoned the offenders, flagrantly interfered with Hong Kong affairs, which are China's internal affairs, and again revealed the hypocrisy, hegemonic thinking, and prejudice of American politicians. "We deplore and firmly oppose such comments," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said that the Hong Kong police have clearly explained the arrests. Violence is violence, and crime is crime, which cannot be justified by any aspirations.
"Would there be any respect for the rule of law and justice left if those who instigated and participated in violence and illegal rallies were allowed to go unpunished?" the spokesperson said.
(With input from Xinhua)